Book Review: Petals in the Ashes
Rating: 
In this sequel to At the Sign of the Sugared Plum, Hannah and her sister Sarah escape from quarantined London to Dorchester, bearing the orphaned child of a noble family who have died of the Bubonic Plague. They deliver the child to her relatives and,after a sojourn at a local house of pestilence, remain at the estate until the Plague begins to abate in London. Eventually the quarantine lifts, and after visiting their country home in Chertsey, Hannah returns with her younger sister Anne to re-open their confectionary shop in London.
The city is a different place after the ravages of the Plague, and white crosses are visible on many empty homes and businesses. Hannah visits the shop of her sweetheart and learns from neighbors that he contracted the Plague and was taken to a burial pit. She grieves, and then is mystified when a local conjurer’s assistant bears a strikingly resemblance to him. She follows him to Bartholomew Fair to discover that he has not in fact died. The budding romance is interrupted when fire breaks out, completely devastating the city.
The romantic story is a thin foil for the real action, which is the rebuilding of London and then the Great Fire. Hooper builds upon the excellent historical foundation she laid in the original book, giving a sense of the period’s flavor by such scenes as the two sisters at confectionary-making and herb-gathering (recipes are included at the end of the book); the many sideshows at Bartholomew Fair (taken from historical accounts); and the detailed description of Hannah’s journey through the burning city, with all the landmarks that succumb to the fire, is nothing short of breathtaking. As in the first book, excerpts from Pepys’ diary introduce each chapter.
The character development is again rather shallow and the love story leaves much to be desired. Hannah continues to be self-absorbed and shallow. Her beau never declares his intentions, but he gives her a keepsake locket and there are several romantic scenes that end in kissing. This sentimental indulgence in the context of an undefined pseudo-courtship makes the book feel more like a modern teenage novel than a story from this time period. Parents will have to judge for themselves whether the lame romance outweighs the historical benefit of this book.
Categories: 3 Stars, Age 08-12, Books Children Love
Tags: 17th Century, Adolescence, Adventures, Britain, Bubonic Plague, Candy, Courage, Death, Disasters, Fire, Great Fire of London, Grief, Historical Fiction, History, London, Mary Hooper, Mobs, Romances, Self-Absorption, Siblings, Survival
Posted on May 25, 2009
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