Petals in the Ashes - Hardcover

Mary Hooper

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582349363 ISBN 13: 9781582349367

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2004

Synopsis

This gripping account of London's Great Fire of 1666 is a worthy companion to At the Sign of the Sugared Plum. Only one year after the city suffered such terrible losses during the Plague, London is recovering and Hannah convinces her parents that, with her younger sister Anne's help, she can return to the city and manage the sweetmeats shop on her own. The girls are thrilled to be back in London, and Hannah even finds her old beau, Tom, alive and well and working for a magician. But her newfound happiness is short-lived as fires begin to spring up around the city and quickly move closer to their shop. Finally, Hannah and Anne are forced to abandon their home to save their lives. When the fires have abated, the girls return to find their shop in ruins. They also find Tom, beaten and injured after being chased by a mob that blamed the magician for starting the fire. Despite their losses, Hannah is sure that one day she will rebuild her shop and once again trade under the sign of the sugared plum.

About this title

About the Author

Mary Hooper began writing about twenty years ago, often short stories for women's and teen magazines. She now focuses solely on books. She is the author of Amy and At the Sign of the Sugared Plum. Mary lives in Eversley Cross, England.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10–After surviving the plague in London and using health certificates belonging to others, Hannah and her older sister Sarah manage to escape the city and take the baby of a noblewoman to her aunt. However, the anticipated warm welcome is not forthcoming, and the girls are quarantined in a pestilence house for 40 days to make sure that they are free of infection. When their good health is finally proven, they return home to Chertsey before returning to their sweetmeats shop in London. When Sarah decides to remain at home, Hannah returns to London with her younger sister Anne. Shortly thereafter, the Great Fire breaks out. In this sequel to At the Sign of the Sugared Plum (Bloomsbury, 2003), the chaos, terror, uncertainty, and horror of that tragedy are vividly portrayed. Hannah is a determined, sensitive, well-drawn heroine who deals courageously with the disaster. Hooper weaves an engrossing, fast-paced tale steeped in historical detail. Though it seems a bit too convenient when Hannah finds Tom, the boy she is fond of and who supposedly perished in the plague, this subplot simply adds another absorbing dimension to the story. This is exemplary historical fiction, skillfully combining reality and imagination. Quotes from Samuel Pepys's diary introduce each chapter, giving an even greater tone of authenticity.–Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
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About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1582349363
• ISBN 13: 9781582349367
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 200