There were times when I had to stop reading this book because such dreadful things were happening to the young main character Minnie O'Sullivan.
Minnie lives in Victorian England. Society observes strict levels of class - servant, working class and gentry. Minnie and her mother are working class. Her mother is a laundress. Minnie is quite young but she is her mother's only helper. Payment for the washing and ironing work is their sole megre income but Minnie has an accident with the mangle and an expensive shirt is ruined. Minnie offers to apologise to the rich owner but when she meets Reverend Obadiah Marpike things completely spin out of control.
Minnie has no idea that she and her friends are about to uncover a complex sham scheme which sees this awful man fraudulently conning money from rich older ladies. The Reverend Marpike is convinced Minnie could spoil is plans so he has her thrown into Haddington Hall which is to be established as a home for wayward girls. Of course this place is utterly dreadful and Minnie is subjected to terrible cruelty.
Luckily Edith, the daughter of Lady Lavingley, is on Minnie's side and she also has the wonderful loyalty of young messenger boy Enry. The three of them need to work together and gather evidence to expose this supposed Reverend and his "New World" ruby scheme and time is running out.
This whole book reads like a melodrama in the theatre of old. You will cheer the heroes and heroines and boo when the villains appear in their scenes. Thank goodness for team work, courage, wise friends, and dogged persistence which ensures everything does work out perfectly in the end.
I really like the cover of this book - do you? That's partly why I selected this book from the huge holdings of our Sydney bookshop - Gleebooks. The cover is by Lia Visirin.
This book reminded me of these:
Here is the web site of Vivian French.
Take a look at her wonderful picture book:
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