Book description
The stunning new novel from the bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl
Earring - this eBook features exclusive extra content by the author.
When modest Quaker Honor Bright sails from Bristol with her sister, she
is fleeing heartache for a new life in America, far from home. But
tragedy leaves her alone and vulnerable, torn between two worlds and
dependent on the kindness of strangers.
Life in 1850s Ohio is precarious and unsentimental. The sun is too hot,
the thunderstorms too violent, the snow too deep. The roads are
spattered with mud and spit. The woods are home to skunks and porcupines
and raccoons. They also shelter slaves escaping north to freedom.
Should Honor hide runaways from the ruthless men who hunt them down?
The Quaker community she has joined may oppose slavery in principle, but
does it have the courage to help her defy the law? As she struggles to
find her place and her voice, Honor must decide what she is willing to
risk for her beliefs.
Set in the tangled forests and sunlit cornfields of Ohio, Tracy
Chevalier's vivid novel is the story of bad men and spirited women,
surprising marriages and unlikely friendships, and the remarkable power
of defiance. Praise for The Last Runaway:
'I have always admired Tracy Chevalier's un-showy brilliance, and this
moving story of a young English Quaker girl trapped between duty and
conscience in 1850s Ohio is the best thing she's written since Girl with
a Pearl Earring' Rose Tremain
The Last Runaway is a joy to read. Chevalier handles the intersection
of two stories - those of pioneering Quakers and escaping slaves - with
verve, imagination and, above all, compassion' Maggie O'Farrell
'A brave, warm-hearted, moving book; the characters are well-drawn and
credible; the local colour meticulously detailed' Joanne Harris
'By far her best book since Girl With A Pearl Earring if not better'
Amanda Craig
'Chevalier places her heroine at the heart, constructing a synergy
between character and plot that makes this novel exquisitely complete…
addictively compelling… Honor Bright deserves a sequel' THE TIMES
'Her best since Girl With a Pearl Earring… as a serious novel about a
genuine moral dilemma, it is highly recommended' THE INDEPENDENT
'Chevalier immerses herself in period and place. Her research, as
always, is meticulous and lightly worn… an entertaining read' THE GUARDIAN
'Chevalier's eye for the telling detail brings it vividly to life. As
simple and plain as a Quaker bonnet, but, like a Quaker soul, it
contains a hidden light' LITERARY REVIEW
'A gripping and potent novel which shows Chevalier at the height of her
powers' The EXPRESS
'Tracy Chevalier has found a subject that both fascinates and moves her
and the result is this quietly powerful and gripping novel' The MAIL
Tracy Chevalier is the author of six previous novels, including the
international bestseller Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Virgin Blue,
Falling Angels, The Lady and the Unicorn, Burning Bright and Remarkable
Creatures. Born in Washington, DC, she moved to London in 1984, where
she lives with her husband and son. She has a website at www.
tchevalier. com.
