What’s it about?
We are, “a company of inspiring thespians bringing stirring drama, heart-rending tragedy, and extraordinary excitement,” expounds Pa, as he drags his family out of London and the untimely clutches of many who are looking to be paid for services rendered, and to the uncharted lands of Victorian Northern England. The story tells of the family’s fluctuating drive for success whilst treading the boards, and is constantly peppered with Pa’s quotes from Shakespeare. Really, its a close look at different families units and how they survive when under undue pressure.
More specifically, the story follows the lives of the Pringle family and two other families: Arabella Poskett, a despondent, widowed heiress, who is struggling to keep the families ancestral home; and a mysterious baby magician and his light-fingered mother.
The future of all three families collides at a small provincial town, as they scrabble together their last pennies.
After initially being quite skeptical about the book, due to the title and blurb, I really enjoyed how the author created distinct characters and kept a great pace within the story.
Three word summary:
Theatre, dogged-determination, self-belief
Themes?
With themes of survival, resilience and friendship explored, this hard hitting tale is a really good read.
How could this be used in the classroom?
This book could be a wonderful teaching source at KS2 for PSHE lessons on determination, resilience and how to deal with aggression. Due to alcoholic references, I wouldn’t recommend the book for lower than Year 4. There are lots of Victorian references which could be explored: the role of women, self-sufficiency, class structure, the role of the post office and the police force, jobs such as milliners, and life in the work house.
Another review is also available in the UKLA’s 4-11 magazine, along with reviews of many other books for primary school children. https://ukla.org/
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