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jaceyGetting down to my backlog of booklogs, now...
Julia Golding: The Diamond of Drury Lane
Egmont, 2006, YA
Set in 1790 this is the charming story of Catherine (Cat) Royal, a foundling brought up in the Drury Lane theatre by the kindness of the owner, Mr. Sheridan. Still in her teens, Cat has become part of the furniture, sleeping in her nest in the top of the building amidst costumes and props and acting as the gopher, running errands and helping out. She's not uneducated, but her lessons have been by the kindness of various theatre employees – mostly the old prompt. She's the one who, more than anyone, has her finger on the pulse of the place.
When the old prompt leaves her lessons pass over to the new prompt, Johnny, whom Cat likes very much. Then she makes friends with Pedro, a young African ex-slave who is a singer and prodigy on the violin. Outside the theatre she's friends with one of Covent Garden's young gang leaders, Syd Fletcher, a butcher's son, and soon makes an enemy out of rival gang leader, Billy 'Boil' Shepherd.
Cat manages to get into various different kinds of trouble when she overhears Mr. Sheridan talking about hiding a diamond on the premises. This leads to various scrapes, largely caused by Pedro's ambitions and the genteel interference of Lady Elizabeth and Lord Francis, children of the Duke of Avon, who befriend both her and Pedro, but don't always have the best understanding of the situation on the streets.
There's a felon at large, the traitorous Captain Sparkle, likely to swing by the neck for the drawing of some politically astute cartoons, and Cat soon finds herself protecting him, as well as trying to keep Shridan's precious diamond from the clutches of Billy Boil.
Captain Sparkle, the diamond, the Duke's children and Pedro all combine to make Cat's life complicated, even though they're her friends, but Billy Boil is out to end it with a knife to the throat if she doesn't find the diamond for him and hand it over.
Cat's an engaging protagonist. The style is archaic enough to give the whole thing a period feel whilst allowing modern pacing. The plot reaches a satisfying conclusion but still allows for sequels.
Julia Golding: The Diamond of Drury Lane
Egmont, 2006, YA
Set in 1790 this is the charming story of Catherine (Cat) Royal, a foundling brought up in the Drury Lane theatre by the kindness of the owner, Mr. Sheridan. Still in her teens, Cat has become part of the furniture, sleeping in her nest in the top of the building amidst costumes and props and acting as the gopher, running errands and helping out. She's not uneducated, but her lessons have been by the kindness of various theatre employees – mostly the old prompt. She's the one who, more than anyone, has her finger on the pulse of the place.
When the old prompt leaves her lessons pass over to the new prompt, Johnny, whom Cat likes very much. Then she makes friends with Pedro, a young African ex-slave who is a singer and prodigy on the violin. Outside the theatre she's friends with one of Covent Garden's young gang leaders, Syd Fletcher, a butcher's son, and soon makes an enemy out of rival gang leader, Billy 'Boil' Shepherd.
Cat manages to get into various different kinds of trouble when she overhears Mr. Sheridan talking about hiding a diamond on the premises. This leads to various scrapes, largely caused by Pedro's ambitions and the genteel interference of Lady Elizabeth and Lord Francis, children of the Duke of Avon, who befriend both her and Pedro, but don't always have the best understanding of the situation on the streets.
There's a felon at large, the traitorous Captain Sparkle, likely to swing by the neck for the drawing of some politically astute cartoons, and Cat soon finds herself protecting him, as well as trying to keep Shridan's precious diamond from the clutches of Billy Boil.
Captain Sparkle, the diamond, the Duke's children and Pedro all combine to make Cat's life complicated, even though they're her friends, but Billy Boil is out to end it with a knife to the throat if she doesn't find the diamond for him and hand it over.
Cat's an engaging protagonist. The style is archaic enough to give the whole thing a period feel whilst allowing modern pacing. The plot reaches a satisfying conclusion but still allows for sequels.
