North Side of the Tree

Description

Sequel to Raider's Tide. The continuation of Beatrice and Robert's story, historical drama set in 16th Century border country. In Raider's Tide, Beatrice, a sixteen-year-old English girl, saves Robert a Scot from death. She has risked her own life, by helping the enemy but in turn is rescued by John, the local pastor. After nearly drowning, and with Robert gone, Beatrice finds it difficult to settle back into everyday life. She starts to learn healing with the Cockleshell Man but is too distraught to concentrate well. A quarrel with her father results in her leaving home to stay at the Parsonage out father's way. There, her relationship with John deepens and they become betrothed. Meanwhile several captured Scots are imprisoned in the infamous dungeons of Lancaster Castle. Robert is among them -- he did not make it across the brder. The prisoners are almost certain to be hanged after their trials at the Lent Assizes. Beatrice makes repeated attempts to free him, but nothing works and Robert is condemned to die. In desperation Beatrice plots with some travelling players to rescue Robert and in doing so, she jeapordises her relationship with John and narrowly escapes being thrown into jail herself. In saving Robert, Beatrice has become a fugitive from the law herself...and Scotland is the only place she can go.

Maggie Prince was born and grew up in Lancaster. She was educated at London University, from where she obtained a Master's Degree. She now lives in Hertfordshire and is married with two children. As well as writing for children, Maggie has worked as a teacher, a freelance journalist and an information officer in London and Johannesburg. Her previous books include Memoirs of a Dangerous Alien which won the WHSmith Mind-Boggling Book Award in 1995, was shortlisted for both the Angus Award in Scotland and the Lancashire County Library Children's Book of the Year Award and was chosen as one of the World Book Day Super Reads in 2001. Raider's Tide, published in February 2002, is Maggie Prince's first novel with CollinsChildren's Books. This historical story from the prize-winning author is a powerful romantic drama set in border country during Elizabethan times and has received fantastic reviews. 'Page-turning excitement with a warm, strong story of a young woman's first love at its heart The reader vividly shares the fears, frustrations and yearnings of this sixteenth-century border community, whose lives, though ordered by their traditions, shelter private secrets of crime and passion.' Jonathan Douglas, Library Association 'This is a novel about growing up and coming to terms with the adult world, about duty versus desire and the vagaries of love. Written in a modern, accessible style, it has nevertheless plenty of period flavour, along with characters you care a great deal about. This book will surely become a firm favourite with Sherryl Jordan readers.' Tara Stephenson, The Bookseller

Of Raider's Tide to follow....