Product Description

'You be going to live in the city, Hannah?' Farmer Price asked, pushing his battered hat up over his forehead. 'Wouldn' t think you'd want to go there Times like this, I would have thought your sister would try and keep you away.' Hannah is oblivious to Farmer Price's dark words, excited as she is about her first ever trip to London to help her sister in her shop 'The Sugared Plum', making sweetmeats for the gentry. Hannah does not however get the reception she expected from her sister Sarah. Instead of giving Hannah a hearty welcome, Sarah is horrified that Hannah did not get her message to stay away - the Plague is taking hold of London. Based on much research, Mary Hooper tellingly conveys how the atmosphere in London changes from a disbelief that the plague is anything serious, to the full-blown horror of the death carts and being locked up - in effect to die - if your house is suspected of infection. A brilliant new departure from this best-selling author. "Mary Hooper is another writer to watch" The Independent

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37657 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
"Mary Hooper is another writer to watch" The Independent

Independent, Monday 28th November 2003
"This story still manages to be thoroughly romantic whatever the growing corpse count."

From the Publisher
Through Hannah’s eyes, Mary Hooper brilliantly recreates the smells, sounds and sights of seventeenth century London life. Hannah’s excitement at coming to the big city is vividly evoked as is the growing terror of a seemingly unstoppable plague that takes hold of the city, street by street, house by house.

Customer Reviews

I loved this book
At the Sign of the Sugared Plum tells the story of Hannah who moves to London full of excitment only to find that the plague is sweeping through the city. As more and more people become ill, Hannah and her sister have to decide what to do. The final chapters are nail biting! As well as being a great story, the book gives a brilliant insight into the life of teenagers during that period of history. I had not read any books by Mary Hooper before but i will definitely read more now!

A brilliant insight into 17th century London
I had this book bought for me and i could say at first i was not sure. But when i picked it up, i literally was hooked! It follows the lives of Hannah and her sister during the plauge. It is racy, interesting and sad. I would definitly recomend to anyone of the age group 13+. I would read again!

The best book ever!!!
At the sign of the sugared plum is a touching story and is the best book i've ever read! The story-line of Hannah and her older sister struggling through difficult times as the plague threatens them in every chapter. Bringing the scene alive is exactly what Mary Hooper achives, you can imagine the sights and smells of London, the church bells ringing constantly declaring more deaths as the sisters parish becomes infected. Also the fear stricken into Hannah as she discovers more and more blood red crosses on tha parish doors and the dreaded words "lord have mercy on us"! This is also a very educational book telling you about the scenes of London, the symptoms of the plague such as the buboes and tokens that apper on the skin. Everything seems so real as they travel through the disese stricken land-the pits piled high with corpses and the smell of preventives everywhere! i don't think Hannah will have any more time to worry about her bright red hair and freckles! A must read book!