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Petals in the Ashes Mary Hooper Bloomsbury © 2004 |
Petals in the Ashes is a book about sisters who flee London because of the widespread of plague. Hannah and Sarah don’t flee London just to escape the plague: the main reason for traveling to the countryside is because the sisters have a young infant with them, which is the daughter of their employer. The infant's name is Grace, and her family has died of the plague. The two girls take the infant to Lady Jane, which is one of Grace’s relatives. After Grace is settled into her new home, Hannah and Sarah head back to London. When traveling back to London, Sarah decides to stay at home to help take care of the family. Anne, another sister, accompanies Hannah. The girls return to their shop, which sells sweat meats.
Once reaching London, the sisters search for some old friends, but receive some mixed information. Even though London is near free on the plague, another disaster occurs. The Great Fire of 1666 happens. The fire destroys the girls’ shop, which is very devastating. In the end, Hannah and Anne withstood many tragic events, but returned to their happy family. This historical fiction is very interesting and informative.
This book would suit kids from the ages of 12-15 years old. Since the book is an historical fiction, children younger than twelve might not know some of the events that take place. I don’t believe a ten year old would know about the plague and Great Fire of 1666. The book is not suitable for children younger than twelve because of the use of inappropriate language. Due to the characters drive to escape the disasters of London, the reader becomes engrossed in the book. The characters have strong spirits, which makes them likable. Petals in the Ashes is a great historical book in which two girls overcome their obstacles.
~ Kiley Thompson, grade 8, Boardman Center Middle School