At the Sign of the Sugared Plum [Paperback]

Mary Hooper (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

It is 1665 and Hannah is full of excitement at the prospect of her first trip to London. She is going to help her sister, Sarah, in her candy shop, 'The Sugared Plum'. But Hannah does not get the welcoming reception she expected from her sister, because the Plague is taking hold of London. However, Hannah is determined to stay and together the two young women face the worst-with the possibility of their own demise, growing ever closer. But through it all they persevere with the support of their neighbors and each other. And at last, they find hope in a daring attempt to escape the city.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Hannah arrives in London in 1665 to help her sister run her sweetmeats shop just as the plague is taking hold of the city. While at first it seems far away in the poorer sections, it gradually creeps closer to Hannah and Sarah. Soon, nearby houses are being shut up and neighbors and acquaintances are dying. The sisters feel trapped, waiting for the time bomb that is the plague to explode. The author convincingly conveys the horror of this epidemic through the senses. From the fetid smell of the streets to the ghastly sights of overwhelming cemeteries, the scope of the disaster is impressively wrought. The story moves quickly and the tension builds at a rapid pace and will hold readers' interest. The book also contains an analysis of the plague and recipes for sweetmeats. A captivating entry in the historical fiction genre.
Kristen Oravec, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Strongsville, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. In the summer of 1665, Hannah travels to London to live with her older sister, Sarah, the owner of a sweetmeats shop. But the bubonic plague begins taking hold, and although Hannah enjoys the excitement of big-city life, the realities of the epidemic soon become impossible to ignore. Hooper fills her story with the sights, sounds, and smells of seventeenth-century London: heads decorate London Bridge, and the putrid aroma of rotting meat and kitchen slops pervades the air. Secondary characters--among them an apothecary and his apprentice--help to broaden Hannah's experiences and enhance the many setting and historical details. Quotes from Samuel Pepys' Diary head each chapter, and appended notes and a glossary add to the authenticity of the story. Historical fiction buffs will find much to like, and classes studying the period will find this an excellent resource, especially when paired with James Cross Giblin's When Plague Strikes (1995), or Jim Murphy's An American Plague [BKL Je 1 & 15 03], which brings the tragedy of an epidemic closer to home. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158234695X
• ISBN-13: 978-1582346953
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,522,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, December 7, 2003

By 

Education Oasis "Education Oasis" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At the Sign of the Sugared Plum (Hardcover)

It is June, 1665 and young Hannah---fresh from her small country village---excitedly arrives in London to help her sister, Sarah, at Sarah's sweetmeats shop called The Sugared Plum. Hannah's excitement is tempered, however, when she learns that the plague has broken out in London .

As the two young women create miniature, candied confections, they watch and wait quietly as the dreaded disease begins to move closer to their parish. Soon "Orders" are posted which lists the rules and procedures that Londoners must follow to help prevent spread of the sickness. The well-to-do, able to obtain "Certificates of Health" begin to leave the city.

Bills of Mortality, which list the number of deaths during the week, begin to rise steadily. Mention of hundreds of dead soon rises to thousands. More alarming than the rising numbers, however, are the immediate, personal signs that the plague is running rampant. Hannah sees, to her horror, houses near their shop which have been "enclosed" because someone inside had died of the disease. The remaining occupants must live inside, behind padlocks and chains, guarded day and night for forty days.

Just when all seems lost, Hannah discovers a means of escape. But will it be too late?

This well-written story is fast-paced and alive with believable characters. The author has skillfully woven throughout enough background information so that readers will be able to identify with young Hannah and all that is happening to her. Also included are a glossary, "Notes on London 's Plague," and recipes from the seventeenth century.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis staff.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One girl's story during the Great Plague of 1665., July 17, 2003

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At the Sign of the Sugared Plum (Hardcover)

Teenaged Hannah has lived all her life in the English countryside, so she is thrilled when, in the summer of 1665, her older sister Sarah invites her to come live with her in London and help her at her candy shop. However, arriving in London she finds Sarah had sent a second letter instructing her not to come. Plague has taken hold in London, and Sarah fears for Hannah's life. Hannah insists on staying, believing she will be safe. But to her horror, in the coming weeks more and more people die, and the sickness becomes an epidemic. Hannah finds herself living every day in fear that she will catch the Plague and die from it, for there is little hope of surviving it, and no way of leaving the city to escape.

I recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction and are interested in this time period. It brings to life the daily life of people in the 17th century and the horrors of living in a city filled with disease. The historical details were fascinating and I learned a lot.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book ever!!! by Jessica L, April 10, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: At the Sign of the Sugared Plum (Hardcover)

At the sign of the sugared plum is a touching story and is the best book I've ever read! The story-line is of Hannah and her older sister Sarah struggling through difficult times as the plague threatens them in every chapter. Bringing the scene alive is exatly what Mary Hooper acheives, you can imagine the sights and smells of London, the church bells ringing constantly declaring more deaths as the sisters parish becomes infected.Also the fear stricken into Hannah as she discovers more and more blood, red crosses on doors and the dreaded words: God have mercy on us! This is also a very educational book telling you about the scenes of London, the symtoms of the plague such as the buboes and tokens that apper on the body. Everything seems so real as they travel through the disease stricken land-the pits piled high to the brim with corpses and the smell of preventives everywhere! I don't think Hannah will have any more time to worry about her bright red hair or freckles! This is a must read book!!!!!