As the Crow Flies - Hardcover

Archer, Jeffrey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060179147 ISBN 13: 9780060179144

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1991

Synopsis

Charlie Trumper, a poor boy, makes good as a department store tycoon and marries his sweetheart, but he becomes the victim of a nefarious campaign against him conducted by the father of his sweetheart's illegitimate son

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Reviews

YA-- A coming-of-age story set in London's East End at the turn of the century. Charlie Trumper idolizes his grandfather, who sells fruits and vegetables from a barrow. He hopes to follow in the man's footsteps and eventually own a big, grand shop. However, World War I interrupts his plans. He learns the value of friendship during the war, but also makes an enemy of Guy Trentham who, with his mother, spends his life seeking revenge and trying to destroy Charlie's dreams. Family intrigue, corporate mergers, romance, villains, and heroes all intertwine to make a fast-moving tale, punctuated with history, mystery, and a refreshing ending in which the good guy wins. --Katherine Fitch, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Practiced raconteur Archer ( Kane & Abel ) engagingly presents the rags-to-riches story of Charlie Trumper, a man who learns to buy and sell by working at his grandfather's vegetable cart in the early 1900s. He and his devoted wife Rebecca quickly become known for fair but cunning business practices as they purchase shops and determinedly develop a department store encompassing most of a London block. They have dangerous enemies, however: Guy Trentham, Charlie's traitorous WW I nemesis and the philandering father of Rebecca's illegitimate son, and Ethel, his wealthy and ruthless mother, both trying to protect the tarnished Trentham family name by undermining those who know of Guy's misdeeds. The Trumpers cut a predictable path through the early years, comfortable and optimistic despite the Trenthams' attempts to foil them; later, legal wranglings, tragedy and questions of patrimony decades old threaten the Trumper empire, while the reader, privy to solutions thanks to dramatic irony, roots in earnest for the good guys. His prose simple and direct, Archer spins a compelling yarn with well-drawn characters, suspenseful pacing and interesting background detail of England's social classes. 300,000 first printing; major ad/promo; Literary Guild main selection; author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060179147
• ISBN 13: 9780060179144
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 617