The Somerset Tsunami: 'The Queen of Historical Fiction at her finest.' Guardian

Description

'My name is Fortune and I am on trial for my life. They say I did magic that made the sea disappear, then come back again so monstrous and so fast no person could out-run the waves. The sea came so far inland, cows climbed trees to escape! But I didn't do magic. All I did was save a drowning boy: I pray he'll now speak the truth and save me . . .' The year is 1607. When a catastrophic flood hits the Somerset coast, young sailor-in-disguise Fortune gets the blame. Locals are convinced witchcraft is at work. And Fortune - who is secretive, suspiciously good at swimming and, to everyone's surprise, a girl - is an obvious scapegoat. Even saving the life of her rival's only son doesn't clear her name. If anything, it makes matters worse . . .

Emma Carroll was a secondary school English teacher for many years. The Somerset Tsunami is Emma's ninth novel for Faber; she has also written the highly-acclaimed Frost Hollow Hall, The Girl Who Walked on Air, In Darkling Wood, The Snow Sister, Strange Star, Letters from the Lighthouse, Secrets of a Sun King and When we were Warriors. She lives in the Somerset hills with her husband and two terriers.

'Emma Carroll is the Hilary Mantel of children's fiction, belting out the sort of elegant, informative historical novels that scoop up awards and feature on every school reading list. She is a natural storyteller who wears her research lightly, champions the boy or girl next door and keeps her plots moving at a breakneck pace. If your children have not read her, they have some catching up to do: this is her fifth historical novel in two years.' The Telegraph