The Miraculous Sweetmakers

This story is a wonderful mix of history and magic.  The main character, Thomasina helps her father in his sweet shop, whilst also looking after her mother who suffers from what we would know as depression.  The family are still suffering after the death of their son Arthur, four years before.  The year is now 1683 and winter has arrived with a vengeance, freezing the Thames and allowing for a Frost Fair to take place.  Thomasina meets another young girl, called Anne, selling goods for her apothecary uncle at the fair and they soon become firm friends.  When Thomasina starts seeing strange ice-like people following her she becomes worried, but then she has a visit from a strange character named Inigo, who says that he will be able to bring her brother back to life and hence make her mother better.  What follows is a chilling (in all senses) tale of a parallel Frost fair, ruled over by the frightening Father Winter, as well as a story about family and friendship and the lengths that people will go to in order to help those they love.

I have read this book twice and it just keeps getting better.  The underlying themes that we are presented with, about asthma and also mental health, resonates with us just as much today.  However, the descriptions of Bedlam and the lack of treatments for both conditions is really frightening.  I particularly love the two strong female characters and the way they both want to develop the businesses that they are growing up in; given that this was such a difficult period for women, they are showing real determination and purpose.  There are several stories that have used the concept of the Frost Fairs but this story really does give a sense of the reality of life,particularly the poor, at this time; the old lady, Miss Maplethorpe presents a desperately sad image of what survival would mean in those days.  This is one of those stories that should become a classic and which would make a fantastic class reader for children in KS2.