One of our Books of the Year 2016 | Shortlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award | Longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2016
The astonishing story of a young man's quest to find justice for his father, from the Carnegie Medal-winning author of Buffalo Soldier.Holding the reader in suspense throughout it charts the growth of a frightened boy into a brave young man with the inspiration drawn from the shocking true story of Thomas Benson, an eighteenth-century Devonshire smuggler.
From the Carnegie Medal-winning author of Buffalo Soldier Tanya Landman comes this heart-stopping tale of a young man's attempt to clear his father's name. When his father is arrested and transported to the Colonies, Caleb is left alone. After a desperate journey in search of an aunt he's never met he receives a strange, cold welcome. Then a body washes up on the nearby beach and Caleb is caught up in a terrifying net of lies and intrigue. Soon he and his new family are in mortal danger. This powerful story holds the reader in suspense as it charts the growth of a frightened boy into a brave young man.
Exploring prejudice and the corruption of the ruling classes, this absolutely gripping stuff. It can only be good news that more readers will find Landman's books thanks to her Carnegie success. The Bookseller
This is a truly exciting story with a hero that we really want to succeed. [...] We can hear the cries of the sailors and stall holders and smell the aromas of the sea. [...] Yet another brilliant book from this Carnegie winning author. The School Librarian
This is a demanding, but highly satisfying, read. IBW Children's Book Guide, The Bookseller
Author
About Tanya Landman
Tanya Landman is renowned for her thought-provoking, prize-winning novels including the beautifully “deft and dark”, Carnegie Medal-winning Buffalo Soldier. In 2019 she won the Scottish Teenage Book Prize for her critically acclaimed novella One Shot.
Tanya says that she loves how writing allows her to daydream – something she was always in trouble for at school! She lives in Devon with her sons, a Siamese cat and two Labradors.
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Judge David Almond:“Landman is a brilliant writer and the book is beautifully written and wonderfully paced. She handles a complex wide-ranging plot with vivacity, verve and skill.”