Here Comes Harry

by Hilda Lewis

Another great illustrated ebook for teens from Beebliome Books!

With bitterness in his heart, Harry Rushden, the thirteen year old lord of Two Mile manor, comes to London to serve his apprenticeship with a master goldsmith, for he had set his heart on following his father's footsteps in becoming a knight, serving his king, Edward VI, known as Harry. But he finds a way to be of valuable service to his king, as the story of the two Harrys paints a vivid picture of court and London life in the fifteenth century.

Recommended for readers 12 and above.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Hilda Winifred Lewis (née Maizels, 1896-1974) was a British writer.

She wrote a noted children's book, The Ship that Flew (1939) which concerns Norse mythology and time travel. It was republished in the Oxford Children's Modern Classics series in 1998. Her three YA books, including the well-received The Gentle Falcon, are available for Kindle and iBooks.
Several of her historical novels, e.g. I am Mary Tudor (1972), received attention. Most of her work is now out of print. Wife to Charles II and I, Jacqueline are available in The Book People's historical fiction paperback collection. The Witch and the Priest (1956) about the seventeenth century Lincolnshire witch trials is well worth reading, even second hand in the freely available but lurid Dennis Wheatley paperback Library of the Occult format.

Reviews

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new interactive version that lets Young Adult readers explore more of the times of Edward VI.

[Albert Elrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories of Harry Rushden, a young goldsmith's apprentice, and of Henry VI of England. The book is supposed to be about the unlikely friendship between these two figures, but it doesn't quite work (and by quite, I mean not at all). The story of Harry Rushden is interesting enough, but the manner in which he is tied to the politics of the realm is specious, and the friendship he fosters with Henry VI seems tenuous at best. The sections detailing Henry's life are often boring, poorly paced, and serve little or no narative purpose. Lewis presents a simplified, and narrow view of politics and public opinion of the day. It reads like propaganda for Henry VI, and the Beauforts. This is like a manual on how not to write historical fiction.

Lewis's writing often leaves much to be desired. She tends to go on about frivolous details, repeating the same frivolous details ad nauseam. How many times must we hear of Henry's aversion to meat? Or, specifically, lines such as the following: "I loved the sweet honey-and-milk drink all rich with honey and laced with wine; and sometimes we had it - a special treat." I die a little each time I read that.

If Lewis had written a book solely about Harry Rushden, and not tried to splice a second (worse) book into it, then this would be decent. As it is, this book isn't really worth the time. I'm a bit disappointed, because I remember enjoying this more as a child. Though, now I realize that I hadn't remembered any of the tale that related to Henry VI, and only that which dealt with Harry.

[Helen Azar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this through ILL. Not really what I expected, although not badly written.