Book Blurb:
"I believe all who enjoy the historical fiction genre will absolutely devour this book... I cannot wait to see what is next for Amanda Denney." - Reader Views 5-star review
Bronze Award, Teens (12-16) category, Reader Views Literary Awards Finalist, Young Author (under 25) category, Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Twelve-year-old Sarah Lee longs to remain in the golden fields under a starry sky forever, but life has other plans for her. After the bleak spring of 1816 yields meager crops, Sarah’s family flees its home in the English countryside to labor at a textile factory in newly industrial London. A factory accident several months later leaves Sarah’s father out of work and her family desperate for money. Despite the worries of her older brother Thomas, Sarah disguises herself and ventures into a dangerous new job.
Sarah soon learns that life in London is not as simple as it seems. She meets Jamie, a sullen, aggressive boy who helps her adjust to the new conditions. But Jamie has dark secrets of his own, and his reluctance to trust strangers clashes with Sarah’s burning curiosity about his past. As the city creeps towards winter, Sarah and her friends stand face-to-face with the horrors of London poverty—rising prices, rampant crime, disease, and hopelessness—and it becomes clear that not everyone will make it out alive. Everyone has a secret, and the consequences can be more devastating than any of them can imagine.
Set in Regency-era England, this award-winning coming-of-age novel delves into the effects of poverty, child labor, exploitation, grief, depression, loss of innocence, and premature responsibility on children and families. Sweepings of the Street delivers a powerful, timeless story against a rapidly changing historical backdrop.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/dETHX5
Author Bio:
Amanda Denney is a historical fiction novelist and poet. In addition to literary essays and journalism articles, she writes historical and realistic fiction in English and Spanish, short stories and novelettes of various genres, and free verse poetry. Her interest in writing came from her deep love of books, which she has devoured several at a time for her entire childhood, and the study of Romantic poetry and a trip to London inspired what would eventually become her debut novel, Sweepings of the Street. Amanda is from Massachusetts and now lives in Saratoga Springs, New York. She can be found drawing, practicing one of her four instruments, memorizing lines for multiple shows at once, typing furiously on her laptop as she tries to replicate the speed of her thoughts, or reading a book wherever she is.
Editorial Review: “Sweepings of the Street”
Author: Amanda Denney
“Abigail displayed her untidy handwriting page. She’d written her name, Abigail Lee, over and over, followed by the alphabet and numbers. The letters were still nearly illegible, but Sarah could usually decipher approximately what they read. “Be sure that your R’s aren’t backwards,” she said, indicating the mistake. “But the rest of your letters are correct.” It was definite progress from earlier that year, when Abigail had been writing entire words in reverse.
Abigail picked up the pencil. It stuck up from her right fist, and Sarah took it and showed her the correct way to hold it. Abigail wrote a new sentence, her tongue poking between her lips as she focused on forming each letter.
“I love my sister Sarah and my brother Thomas,” she read.”
Sarah Lee is only a child. Which is unfortunate, as there is no time for childhood in the bleakness of London, England of the early 1800s. Sarah’s family is poor, her father is out of work and her family is struggling to survive. And so the scene is set for Amanda Denney’s atmospheric novel “Sweepings of the Street”, where the safeguards and safety nets that modern audiences take for granted are over a century into the future, leaving Sarah and her family at the mercy of unscrupulous workplaces and perilous circumstances.
Denney’s talent for writing is obvious. This story, and the characters in it, absorbs the reader from the first page. Sarah’s personality – and her predicament – are evident from the start, and she effortlessly carries the novel, and her family, through many twists and turns. As is so often the case, it is the bonds between the siblings that seem most poignant, and it will be impossible for the reader to avoid a sense of comparison to modern day families and family roles. “Sweepings of the Street” deals with some heavy themes, and there is grief and loss. But that only adds to the accuracy of the author’s writing and the overall realism of the plot. Sarah eventually finds work herself, meeting Jamie and other characters outside of her family group. The recounting of Sarah’s experiences, in a factory, then as a chimney sweep, and life generally, make for grim reading. However, the starkness is not overwrought, and it is always balanced by Sarah’s determination to prevail over her circumstances.
This reviewer was struck by how easily Denney was able to convey a sense of “good and bad” through well-drawn characters who by turn illustrate unsafe working conditions, or venality and then, on the flip side, other characters who show the bonds of family and friendship. All this characterization is natural and just seems part of the story that will keep pages turning or scrolling long into the night.
““Does your mother go to our church?” asked Sarah, trying to remember if she’d ever seen a woman with Dr. Mortimer.
Catherine shook her head. “Oh, no. She died when I was four years old.”
There was a beat of silence, then Thomas murmured, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be,” said Catherine. “I’ve only the faintest memories of her. My father is quite another story. I reckon she’s the reason he is… the way he is.” She faltered slightly, then forged on. “She was an heiress, you know, my mother, and she would have inherited a small fortune had she married rich. But she married my father. He blames himself for her illness, saying that she would be alive if she had taken the path her family wished for her.” At the end of her sentence, she adopted a scathing tone as though repeating words she’d heard a thousand times.
“How romantic.” Thomas leaned closer to her and flashed a faint grin. “She gave up her fortune for love.””
Some readers may find the use of footnotes at certain points throughout the novel removes them from the narrative. When Denney has written such an authentic story, the addition of precise poetry references and definitions is possibly not required. Those who love the poetry of John Keats will nevertheless be in for a welcome surprise.
“”The things of which you speak are beyond my imagination,” Deborah said, “but know this. You are not weak.” Her voice grew firm. Jamie made a quiet noise akin to a sob. “Strength ought to be measured not by battles won, but by battles fought. You have taken on responsibility never meant for a boy your age. You have endured cruel people by day and a cruel mind by night. You have seen the darkest, most desperate parts of the world. I, who have had handed to me what you’ve had to toil for, could never blame someone in your position for giving up hope. But you kept fighting, and for that I would consider you very strong indeed.””
“Sweepings of the Street” by Amanda Denney is a totally immersive novel that perfectly balances the grimness of Regency London streets with the determination of the human spirit. Sarah and her family – and her counterpoint Jamie – are well characterized with credible, poignant backstories that will certainly make the reader reflect on social changes over the centuries. A compelling and absorbing novel with a highly memorable storyline and message.
*****
"Sweepings of the Street” by Amanda Denney receives 4 ½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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