Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
About the book
Author: Chevalier, Tracy.
Title: Burning bright.
Publication: New York : Dutton, 2007. 9780525949787 (hardcover)
DAISY audio format narrated by Jill Tanner. CELA library call number DA480602007. 417 pages in the paperback edition, 11 hrs., 26 min. as a recorded book.
About the story
After suffering a tragic loss, a Dorsetshire family moves to Georgian-era London at the invitation of a circus owner. Setting up a chair-making workshop in their small upstairs apartment, the Kellaway family set about making a new life for themselves, encountering colourful neighbours such as the publisher and artist William Blake, the streetwise Maggie Butterfield and the mesmerising circus owner Philip Astley.
The author paints a vivid picture of life in the early 1790s, with lots of well-researched detail and an engaging plot. There are several strands to the story, which mostly follows young Jem Kellaway’s adventures through the streets of London with Maggie and tells the story of his sister, Maisie.
The story is interesting and well written. The descriptions of the time and the setting are memorable, and it feels like the book ends just a bit too soon. Jill Tanner’s narration is well done, and she is very pleasant to listen to, in my opinion.
Recommended?
This is a very readable story with both male and female protagonists.
