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The Scrub
Foot-soldiers in the shadowy army of ‘scrubs’ that come down out of the Savoy mountains every winter to sweep the capital’s chimneys, thirteen-year-old Séraphin and his younger sister, Sophie, are on the run. Fleeing their brutal master, they take shelter in an abandoned mansion, but quickly realize that they are not alone...
Thus begins a journey into a labyrinth of deceit and manipulation, in the heart of which is a long-lost library, in the dark of which is the mysterious incunabulum, an ancient volume which a book-crazed aristocrat will stop at nothing to acquire.
The Scrub unfolds against the backdrop of a snow-bound Paris and in the shadow of the great iron tower being built by Monsieur Eiffel for the Universal Exposition. Beginning with a heart-stopping chase over the city’s snow-covered rooftops, and ending with a terrifying pursuit into the depths of its stinking sewers, The Scrub tells the story of a dyslexic boy with an extraordinary gift who risks his sanity, his freedom, and his very life to save his little sister.
A thrilling adventure, The Scrub is also a heart-warming tale of self-discovery and friendship, of hatred and of love, a story peopled with vivid characters and pungent rogues, in the classic tradition of Les Misérables and Oliver Twist. It is the first book of the Ringbook Trilogy.
Thus begins a journey into a labyrinth of deceit and manipulation, in the heart of which is a long-lost library, in the dark of which is the mysterious incunabulum, an ancient volume which a book-crazed aristocrat will stop at nothing to acquire.
The Scrub unfolds against the backdrop of a snow-bound Paris and in the shadow of the great iron tower being built by Monsieur Eiffel for the Universal Exposition. Beginning with a heart-stopping chase over the city’s snow-covered rooftops, and ending with a terrifying pursuit into the depths of its stinking sewers, The Scrub tells the story of a dyslexic boy with an extraordinary gift who risks his sanity, his freedom, and his very life to save his little sister.
A thrilling adventure, The Scrub is also a heart-warming tale of self-discovery and friendship, of hatred and of love, a story peopled with vivid characters and pungent rogues, in the classic tradition of Les Misérables and Oliver Twist. It is the first book of the Ringbook Trilogy.
485 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2016
5 people want to read
About the author
James Norton
1 book2 followersJames Norton grew up in rural Oxfordshire, England, and read English at Saint Catherine’s College, Oxford, graduating in 1981. He then travelled extensively, living for a time in Madrid and Paris, and eventually finding work as a financial journalist in London. Writing in collaboration with mystery writer Philip Sington, under the joint pseudonym Patrick Lynch, between 1993 and 2000, he co-authored six bio-tech/ medical thrillers, which sold over a million copies worldwide. The third novel, Carriers, was adapted for the screen by The Ladd Company, while other titles were developed by BBC Drama, and Universal Studios. To date his work has been translated into a total of thirteen languages.
In 2001, he moved to Los Angeles, where he undertook a variety of writing projects, including a number of screenplays, and wrote the novels Spiral and Mirror, both published by Simon and Schuster under the pen name Joseph Geary. His latest book, The Scrub, is the first novel he has written with younger readers in mind.
In 2001, he moved to Los Angeles, where he undertook a variety of writing projects, including a number of screenplays, and wrote the novels Spiral and Mirror, both published by Simon and Schuster under the pen name Joseph Geary. His latest book, The Scrub, is the first novel he has written with younger readers in mind.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 9, 2017
Set in Paris in 1888 at the time of the building of the Eiffel tower
The sad lives of a young orphan chimney sweep, thirteen-year-old Séraphin and his dying younger sister Sophie are portrayed in this atmospheric childrens book.
On the run starving and trying to remain honest, they meet a collection of dodgy characters who haven’t got their best interest in mind, when they find out that Séraphin has some special abilities.
A nice book with plenty of excitement on offer not just for kids but good for anyone who likes
this period in france’s history.
The sad lives of a young orphan chimney sweep, thirteen-year-old Séraphin and his dying younger sister Sophie are portrayed in this atmospheric childrens book.
On the run starving and trying to remain honest, they meet a collection of dodgy characters who haven’t got their best interest in mind, when they find out that Séraphin has some special abilities.
A nice book with plenty of excitement on offer not just for kids but good for anyone who likes
this period in france’s history.
Displaying 1 of 1 review