Book description
A stunning historical novel, 'The Book of Fires' is the unforgettable
story of Agnes Trussel - and love, fireworks and redemption.
Brought up in rural Sussex, seventeen-year-old Agnes Trussel is
carrying an unwanted child. Taking advantage of the death of her elderly
neighbour, Agnes steals her savings and runs away to London. On her way
she encounters the intriguing Lettice Talbot who promises that she will
help Agnes upon their arrival. But Agnes soon becomes lost in the dark,
labyrinthine city. She ends up at the household of John Blacklock,
laconic firework-maker, becoming his first female assistant.
The months pass and it becomes increasingly difficult for Agnes to
conceal her secret. Soon she meets Cornelius Soul, seller of gunpowder,
and hatches a plan which could save her from ruin. Yet why does John
Blacklock so vehemently disapprove of Mr Soul? And what exactly is he
keeping from her? Could the housekeeper, Mrs Blight, with her thirst for
accounts of hangings, suspect her crime or condition?
Historical fiction at its very best, 'The Book of Fires' is utterly
intriguing, completely compelling and impossible to put down. Jane
Borodale gained her MA from Wimbledon School of Art. She has written and
exhibited work for a variety of sites, including the Wordsworth Trust,
Cumbria, the Foundling Museum, London, and the Dartington Hall Trust in
Devon, where she was writer-in-residence. She is currently Leverhulme
Artist in Residence at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Sussex,
and lives in the West Country with her husband and two children.
