In addition to being attracted to its unique, quirky title, as soon as I started reading The Strange Adventures of H I was gripped. This is so the type of book I really like – character driven with a captivating story set against a backdrop of real historical events. I found myself storming through it.
This is a novel set in the 17th century and written before what is happening in the world now; yet it is shockingly reflective of our current times – not just over the past few months, but also over the past few weeks. This is a novel that poignantly exposes the horrifying, murderous power of fear and ignorance. The Strange Adventures of H is a great example of the true power of historic fiction.
It is also an evocative story of survival. H is a young, innocent child when she is orphaned. She finds true happiness when she is sent to London to live with her aunt. But fate is cruel; H looses her innocence, her loved ones and her home. Finding herself cast out on the dangerous streets of London under quarantine in the midst of the Great Plague, she uses her intelligence, wit and body to survive.
Set against the brutal hypocrisy of the age, H builds a life for herself in the shadows of London society. This is a life built on survival instinct, scheming plans and enhanced with colourful friendships. The character of Godfrey is especially colourful; and a character I completely adored. In fact in my view Godfrey deserves a novel of his own.
H is a true heroine with a unique story. She has integrity and is loyal to those she holds dear. But due to the cruel losses, injustices and hypocrisy she faces, she looses her self respect and self acceptance in order to survive. And what measures will H take to avenge the cruellest injustice of all and to protect those she loves?
The Strange Adventures of H is a compelling novel made up of short chapters that had me turning the pages at a rapid pace. It is also a novel full of historic detail, depth and hope.
It is Sarah Burton’s debut novel for adults. However from a brief sentence written in the last chapter, I do wonder and hope it is not the only book that H will feature in. If my theory is correct, I believe the next instalment in the series won’t actually focus on H but I am sure will just be as captivating. Fingers crossed my theory is correct…
In the meantime I urge you to read The Strange Adventures of H as it will send you on an adventure of your own – an evocative, historic reading adventure. Released on 1st June 2020, it is available for you now.
Thank you to Lucy Chamberlain from Legend Press for inviting me to be involved in the blog tour to help publicise this great read. To also read the reviews of my fellow book bloggers also on the blog tour, please see below.
Happy reading everyone! 🙂
My rating:
