Burning Bright

Burning Bright
Written by by Tracy Chevalier

Read by Emilia Fox

Published by: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Price: 15.99 HarperCollins

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright
In the forest of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Although not a main character, William Blake features in this novel like a friendly ghost.

Burning Bright in my car were young Jem and his sister, Maisie Kellaway from Dorset and Maggie Butterfield, a streetwise girl they bond with of the same age. They befriend Mr and Mrs Blake, an eccentric couple rumoured to sit naked in their garden reading poetry. We learn that William Blake is a prolific writer and artist, and a quiet supporter of the French Revolution. Through his books of the same name, Blake mentors Jem and Maggie coaxing both to think about the world around them and ushering them both from innocence to experience.

It’s March 1792 when Thomas Kellaway, the father, packs up home and family to travel from their small village of Piddletrenthide to join Philip Astley and Astley's Circus. He was invited by Astley himself on the merit of his fine chair making skills. The fable of the of Town mouse and Country mouse comes alive as we view Lambeth, London from Dorsetshire eyes. Of course, what we see is extraordinary; sometimes exhilarating, sometimes terrifying but every step these believable characters take is heart warming.

Parts that made me grip my steering wheel include Maggie’s attempt to save Massie from being seduced by Philip Astley Jnr, a notorious womaniser, and Maggie’s heartache as she reveals her dark secret to Jem.

Emila Fox gives each character a soul with her reading. To my ears, character accents were genuine and filled with nuances that sometimes brought a smile.

Definitely one to recommend to friends.