The Red Necklace
By (Author) Sally Gardner
Hachette Children's Group
Orion Children's Books
30th October 2008
14th August 2008
United Kingdom
Children
Fiction
823.914
Short-listed for Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008
Paperback
384
Width 132mm, Height 199mm, Spine 29mm
272g
The story of a remarkable boy called Yann Margoza; Tetu the dwarf, his friend and mentor; Sido, unloved daughter of a foolish Marquis; and Count Kalliovski, Grand Master of a secret society, who has half the aristocracy in thrall to him, and wants Yann dead.
Yann is spirited away to London but three years later, when Paris is gripped by the bloody horrors of the Revolution, he returns, charged with two missions: to find out Kalliovski's darkest deeds and to save Sido from the guillotine. With a tangle of secrets, a thread of magic and a touch of humour, the follies of the aristocracy and the sufferings of ordinary people are unfolded as their lives move relentlessly towards the tragic and horrific days of the Terror. THE RED NECKLACE is not only a tremendous adventure story but a vibrant and passionate picture of Paris in turmoil and of a large cast of memorable characters.'Exquisitely constructed...sophisticated, unpatronising...this book is a challenging read but also extremely rewarding. With vivid descriptions and fluid prose, this tale of magic, murder and madness brings 18th-century Europe to life on the page' WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY 'Gardner's story is told with relentless pace, and breathes fear and trepidation into the reader' INIS '...an exciting, well written story with plenty of intrigue and plot twists to keep the reader hooked' WRITE AWAY
Sally Gardner trained at art college and went on to work in the theatre, winning awards for her costume designs for some notable productions. After her twin daughters and her son were born she started to illustrate children's books, and then turned to writing. She lives in North London.