A London Apprentice: An eighteenth-century romp around decadent Covent Garden

by Judy Graham

A LONDON APPRENTICE is a fast moving, sometimes bawdy, story set in 1726.
The underbelly of London is dramatic, with eccentric and theatrical characters creating situations of surprise and adventure.

Amongst the humour and sparkle of this story, the telling of it requires some mature themes and adult situations, theatrical though they may be.

Innocent Fanny Tomlinson, becomes destitute and homeless when her mother dies. Her only relative is Aunt Marie in London, to whom she will apprentice. Leaving all that is familiar, her first encounter of the city is an execution at Tyburn. Arriving safely at the Swan Inn, she is soon abducted into the dangerous underworld of eighteenth-century London. However, she is befriended by sideshow performers.

Fanny is intelligent, but to survive she must absorb the energy of London. With every step towards her desire for independence, events happen that challenge her principles. Will her association with villains and outcasts destroy her or make her stronger?

Unknown to Fanny, she carries a secret, which will only be revealed if she is worthy.

From slum garrets, gaudy brothels and molly houses to the bewitching Theatre Royal, Fanny collects colourful friends and acquaintances, whose actions could teach her independence. Will she be brave enough to become a true citizen of London?

The eighteenth-century was a different world. Life for a vulnerable young woman was very precarious, having to face situations that today are unacceptable. However, the dangers Fanny encounters still remain relevant in the twenty-first century.

*You can follow Fanny’s footsteps by studying John Roche’s London map of 1746*

Audio book available now!

417 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 9, 2019

Reviews

[Humphrey Hawksley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Graham's first brilliantly-described scene immediately draws us into the kindness, colour, characters, cruelty and sheer moral hypocrisy of early 18th Century central London. It makes us angry passionate and determined to turn the page to see if wrongs will be righted. A London Apprentice tells the story of teenager Fanny Tomlinson, orphaned by the death of her mother and catupulted into an underbelly of London awash with the logistics of survival, moral choices and humanity. Rich with atmosphere and tension, gritty Tomlinson is a great character of historical fiction. Graham has traced her own ancestroral London roots back five hundred years to the wharves around St Paul's before the Great Fire and the present cathedral was built. The River Thames, the winding alleys, the commotion of Covent Garden and Soho and, to some extent, the markets and taverns, are there today, as are the homeless and destitute. It is partly this evocation of London's character, past and present, that makes A London Apprentice such compelling reading.

[lifelonghistorylover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic historical fiction. I could put it down. It would make an excellent film!!