The Thieves of Pudding Lane: A story of the Great Fire of London

by Jonathan Eyers

London, 1666. Orphaned by the Great Plague, Sam is soon starving on the streets - and desperate enough to steal. He's quickly recruited as one of sinister Uncle Jack's children, and taught to steal. If he gets caught by the law, the punishment will be death - and if he crosses Uncle Jack, it could be just as bad. Still, it's a living for Sam and his fellow thief Catherine... until the long, hot London summer means a blaze at the Pudding Lane bakery runs out of control....and they learn that Uncle Jack's schemes are far more evil than they knew.

Running for their lives from thiefmasters, thieftakers and the Great Fire of London itself, can two reluctant criminals save an innocent life - and their own skins?

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book as a child it was why I feel in love with reading so I had to reread it.

Is it the best book in the world? No.

But it’s so fun. A great little Oliver Twist retelling that has you rooting for the characters while experiencing a historical event and descriptions.

Lives up to my past experience.

[Miss Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's February 1666 and London is being ravaged by The Plague. Sam and his brother are sent out of their home in the middle of the night to seek refuge with Father Stephen. They aren't every able to say goodbye to their mother who lies coughing and sneezing in bed…

Several months later, we catch up with Sam, orphaned and alone on the streets of London desperate for food. He narrowly avoids being caught thieving thanks to help from Wilf, who then takes him to meet Uncle Jack in Pudding Lane, where he joins his band of little magpies. With a bed at night, food twice a day and a friend in Catherine, maybe life as a thief isn't so bad. Then, a strong wind and an oven full of embers change everything. With a fire tearing through the streets of London, Sam and Catherine decide they'll do one final job for Uncle Jack. Only then do they discover the lengths he will go to for gold. Can they outrun both the fire and Uncle Jack?

With characters that have you routing for them from the off, and a scorching description of the fire beginning on Pudding Lane to it’s spread across London, this is an action packed, gripping, historical adventure. A testament to the strength of true friendship, our heroes have bucket loads of courage, bravery and tenacity in the face of an evil, manipulative foe.

Jonathan brings the devastating horror of the Great Fire to life perfectly for children making this a brilliant book for use on topics covering The Plague and The Great Fire of London, and to draw comparisons between Sam and Uncle Jack, and Oliver Twist and Fagin.

Great for fans of Black Powder, Raven Boy and Strange Star.

Many thanks to Jonathan Eyers for sending me a copy for my bookshelf at school; I'm sure my pupils will be as gripped as I was.

[thatbookgal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thieves of Pudding Lane is impossible to put down - I finished it one sitting. The descriptions of the Great Fire of London are evocative and beautifully written. I could almost feel the heat of the fire against my skin. Learning about history through good fiction is a fantastic way to realise the scope of historical events. The characters were incredibly heartwarming, against a backdrop of tragedy and loss. Their resilience and hope have you cheering for them until the last page.

I loved it, in other words.

[V.S. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great little book!

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Oliver Twist re-telling mashed with fire of London historical fiction sprinkled with a pinch of romance. This tale barrels along at a good pace with lots of adversity thrown at the main character Samuel, mainly in the form of the resident 'Fagin' Old Jack and his cronies. I love reading about this era and the fire of London facts were weaved in seamlessly with the story. Definitely a good read. My only minor quibble would be that some of the description could do with being slightly less dense. Overall though I think this would be an accessible read for younger readers.