Early Review: The Disgrace of Kitty Grey

The Disgrace of Kitty Grey

Mary Hooper

Publisher: Bloomsbury - Released 8th May 2013

 Ecopy Courtesy of Netgalley and Bloomsbury

Kitty is living a happy, carefree life as a dairymaid in the countryside. The grand family she is employed by looks after her well, and she loves her trade, caring for the gentle cows and working in the cool, calm dairy. And then, of course, there is Will, the river man who she thinks is very fond of her, and indeed she is of him. Surely he will ask her to marry him soon? Then one day disaster strikes: Will disappears. Kitty is first worried and then furious. She fears that Will has only been leading her on all this time, and has now gone to London to make his fortune, forgetting about her completely. So when Kitty is asked to go to London to pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice, the latest novel by the very fashionable Jane Austen, Kitty leaps at the chance to track down Will. But Kitty has no idea how vast London is, and how careful she must be.

Set in Regency England, the story follows milk maid, Kitty Grey who is left with her beau’s young sister after he disappears. She follows him to London with Betsy, the sister and finds herself getting deeper and deeper into trouble. It is amazing how quickly Kitty manages to lose her money and without instant communication that we enjoy today is stranded and friendless. The time is not easy on Kitty especially as she has a young child to look after – which most people assume is hers. A lot of people look down on her because of this and she easily finds herself on the wrong side of the law, even without meaning too. The law doesn’t seem fair and is weighted towards those with money.

Once again Mary Hooper has managed to capture the atmosphere and tone of the era with London bustling, crowded and moving towards a city we might recognise now as well as the gentle country life that hasn’t changed in years of Kitty’s home. I adore the way that the environments described come to life with the sights, sound and smell stirring all senses. Kitty is a sympathic character if naïve and her trials really make you feel for her. The writing is layered simplicity which draws you in, involves your senses, invokes emotions and teaches all at the same time.

This is not a long book and I was able to read it in a couple of sittings, but for those who love and appreciate historical stories with a splash of romance, then Mary Hooper is the author for you. I am a complete fan and still have a couple of book from her back catalogue I want to start reading soon!

Recommended for fans of Ceclia Rees and Sophie MacKenzie. 8 out of 10

The Betrayal Review

The Betrayal (At The House of the Magician 3)

-       Mary Hooper

Publisher: Bloomsbury

 Lucy is asked to continue her work on behalf of Queen Elizabeth I. But will her romance with Tomas, the queen's fool, get in the way?

Mary Hooper is the queen of immersive historical fiction for teens. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I will say again (and probably each time I read one of her books!), but her stories hum with the life and atmosphere of the sixteenth century vividly painting images and textures in my head.

Lucy continues to work for her beloved monarch, Queen Elizabeth even while helping Mistress Midge prepare a London town house for Dr Dee and his family. The move from Richmond and Mortlake to London opens up the world for Lucy and gives a new exciting range of sights and sounds for us to explore – including the world of the theatre and players. The way the servants and manual labours look up to the aristocracy is subtly done with their gossip about court life and the queen’s suitors similar to any gossip magazine today.

Lucy’s relationship with the queen’s fool Tomas is expanded upon with the trust between them strained at times as a rival for Tom’s affections appears. Tom and Lucy have a very sweet relationship especially considering the traditional roles for men and women at that time. A great read – and fantastic insight into a different century and a different way of life.

Recommended for fans of Harriet Castor and Celia Rees. 8 out of 10

By Royal Command Review

By Royal Command (House of Magician 2)

-          Mary Hopper

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Lucy has become a firm fixture in the household of Dr Dee, a real-life figure who was court magician to Queen Elizabeth 1. Lucy, in return for saving the queen's life, has been told that she is to work as a spy for Her Grace and that she is to remain with the Dee family and await further instruction ...And then Lucy hears unexplained cries in the Dee house, and finds a young girl imprisoned there. What is Dr Dee doing? Lucy means to find out.

Having already saved the life of her beloved monarch, Queen Elizabeth, Lucy has returned to work for court magician Dr Dee, confident in the knowledge that the Queen’s fool Tomas will need her services again. Lucy is an extremely loyal person – dedicated to those she cares about Queen and country as well as her young charges and even hardworking but moaning cook, Mistress Midge. She is an easy character to root for and you can’t help but be wrapped up in her adventures. She is generous and kind-hearted, but her strong curiosity and innate intelligence ensures she makes a good spy as well.

This story is set around Christmas time and focuses on the preparation and celebration of the twelve days in Tudor times with so many small details lovingly portrayed. Once again I could picture all the greenery brought inside and smell all the baking and roasting done for the big day. I love the imagery and sensations described – and the enthusiasm as Mary Hopper describes the joy the ordinary people had at gossip about court – much in the same way as happens today with movie stars! Although a short book, which I raced through in one day I loved spending time back in Lucy world and was particularly intrigued at what Dr Dee and My Kelly were getting up to. I can’t help thinking they will be caught out soon…

These books are great to get young children interested in history, but a wonderfully invocative glimpse into the past for the older readers. I feel like I know the Tudor period more after reading these books than years of history study. Highly recommended for both – I can’t wait to read the last book in this trilogy – The Betrayal…

Recommended for fans of Alison Weir and YS Lee. 8 out of 10

At The House Of The Magician Review

At The House Of The Magician

-          Mary Hooper

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Poor runaway during the Elizabethan period, Lucy does not have many options. Her luck finally turns when she is taken on as a maid in the household of Dr. Dee, court magician to Queen Elizabeth I. The household is strange and sinister, and Lucy has a nose for intrigue. So when she stumbled across a plot to assassinate the queen, Lucy must find means to warn her . . . before it's too late.

Escaping from her abusive Father, Lucy manages to find employment as a nursemaid at the house of Dr Dee – mystic and confidant to Elizabeth I. But is Dr Dee truly mystical or is just a clever fake?

I am a recent convert to Mary Hooper’s writing, but once again she has sucked me into the Elizabethan era. She has such a skill that with minimal words she re-created the past complete with sights, sounds and smells. The people come to life, each one feels like a real person with their own habits and thoughts. The Tudor period is a favourite period of mine – and the setting in Richmond and Mortlake is familiar to me made it all feel like a comfy chair that I was settling into again – and I could have stayed a lot longer than 240 pages!

Lucy is an engaging character and I loved her devotion to the Queen and her mother. Her slow discovery of what lies beyond the normal world is intriguing and while I would have liked to know more of the magic and ghosts, there is definitely an element that can be explored in the future for Lucy. I would have liked to know more about Tomas as well!

Overall this was a great a read where the major disappointment was how quickly I sped through the pages.

Recommend for fans of Sophie McKenzie and Jennifer Donnelly. 8 out of 10

Petals In The Ashes Review

Petals In The Ashes

-       Mary Hooper

Publisher: UK – Bloomsbury

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 starts to look for her old beau, Tom. But before long her newfound happiness is short-lived as fires begin to spring up around the city and quickly move closer to their shop.

Petals in the Ashes is the sequel to At The Sign of The Sugared Plum which I reviewed a couple of weeks (read the review here). It picks up a couple of days later with Hannah and her sister having escaped the city of London and the plague. They slowly wait out the plague planning to return to their sweetmeats shop in the city. But just when they think it might be safe to return, something even worse threatens London.

The first half of this book covers Hannah time before she returns to the city and then once she returns to the city there is a build up to the start of the fire. Once it’s starts though, the tension is intense with people not sure what to do and as it spreads so does the fear and panic.

I absolutely adore how effortlessly Marry Hooper recreates the seventeenth century – the sights, sounds and smells just leap off the page and surround you. Added to which the characters are easily relatable and innocent without being too naive or weak. It just makes the time spent reading this book feel like coming home and collapsing into your old bed. Comfortable and at the same time different – but in a good way. Hannah has a personality you can’t help but like – I would love to be a friend of hers! I also loved how Hannah was keen to catch up with her sweetheart, Tom and how difficult it can be to connect with people in those days – no facebook for these people! J

A beautifully written historical book for teens with just the right touch of romance. I’m so happy I have plenty more of Mary’s books to read!

Recommended for fans of Peter Dickinson and Robert Westall. 8 out of 10.

At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum Review

At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum

-       Mary Hooper

Publisher: UK – Bloomsbury

It is 1665 and Hannah is full of excitement at the prospect of her first trip to London. She is going to help her sister, Sarah, in her candy shop, 'The Sugared Plum'. But Hannah does not get the welcoming reception she expected from her sister, because the Plague is taking hold of London. However, Hannah is determined to stay and together the two young women face the worst-with the possibility of their own demise, growing ever closer.

This is the second book in two weeks I’ve read set in the 1600s and I have to confess this is the book that most vividly invokes the period. Mary Hooper is celebrated for her historical YA books and after reading my first book from her I can understand why. The writing is simple and elegant, effortless painting pictures, sounds and smells of the period. In fact I just fell in love with Mary’s style of writing and descriptions!

The story focuses on Hannah, a young girl from the country who moves to London to help her older sister in her sweetmeats shop just before the Great Plague hits London in 1665. Hannah is new to the city and through her eyes we can experience the everyday life of people at the time living in a crowded, prosperous city. I loved Hannah’s naivety and wonder at seeing the city for the first time. People are not frightened at first but slowly the tension mounts as rumours and disease spread. I loved the descriptions of preventatives and how the dead are dealt with as the situation slowly gets worse and the fear mounts. My usual read in both YA and adult involves the supernatural in one way or another, but this gracefully written historical story moved me more than many  supernatural stories have recently – I think I’ve been missing out on some truly wonderful story-telling. J

This is a truly enchanting tale with plentiful historical detail for those who care. There is creepiness from the disease acting as a menacing figure towering over Hannah and her sister. I’m so happy I have a selection of other Mary Hooper books to work my way through as I have found a new favourite!

Recommended for fans of Peter Dickinson and Cat Patrick. 9 out of 10.