A Pattern of Secrets By Lindsay Littleson | Historical Fiction

A Pattern of Secrets By Lindsay Littleson | Historical Fiction Description

Classes collide and mysteries must be solved in A Pattern of Secrets, a YA fiction novel by award winning children's author Lindsay Littleson. 

It's 1871, and the great Scottish town of Paisley is in crisis. With cotton in short supply, textile mills and factories are collapsing, throwing their workers into poverty. This is where the story of 12 year old Jim Muir begins. With his father out of work, Jim and his family have no choice but to move into the local poorhouse, where men, women and children alike are worked to the bone for a pittance.

Jim's father holds a secret though, and it just might be what saves the Muir family from ruin. The key is a shawl that is now owned by the Rowat family, the industrialists who owned the factory that Jim's father worked at. With this glimmer of hope, Jim escapes the poorhouse and hatches a plan to steal back the shawl.

Meanwhile, Jessie Rowat may live in luxury, but she's no happier than Jim - she's grieving for her dead mother. What's worse, Jessie's distant father has taken Jessie and the rest of his family to live with his ailing mother and viscous sister.

When she sees Jim spying on her family from a nearby treetop, Jessie confronts him, thinking that he's a threat to her family. When he tells her his story, however, she cannot help but be moved and vows to help him solve the mystery. With its thrilling story, sympathetic characters and well-realised storyworld, This period drama is one of the most captivating historical fiction books for children aged eight to twelve.

With excellent prose, children's author Lindsay Littleson brings the crowded, poorhouses, cobbled streets and grand townhouses of Victorian Paisley to life. Thanks to an excellent ear for dialogue, Littleson makes the hardships of this tumultuous period understandable and engaging for the modern reader.

With a fictional account of the early life of Jessie Rowat Newbury, A Pattern of Secrets weaves the best elements of YA fiction and historical fiction books together to form an exciting, heart wrenching and hopeful tapestry.

Specification:

• Package dimensions: W12.85 x L0.99 x H19.84cm
• Page count: 170
• Recommended age: 8-12
• ISBN-10 : 1911279262
• ISBN-13 : 978-1911279266
• Binding: Paperback
• Publisher: Pokey Hat
• Publication date: 16 April 2018