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The Chestnut Roaster
“Starting on All Fools Day, twelve years ago, I remember everything. EVERYTHING. That was a wet Saturday, and that was the day I was born.”
12-year-old Piaf has the ability to (and burden of) remembering everything that has happened since the day she was born. When she discovers everyone in Paris has forgotten the entire last year, 1887, including the disappearance of several gifted children, Piaf and her twin brother Luc embark on a dangerous journey that brings them to the depths of Paris’s underground twin, the Catacombs, to capture the memory thief and find the lost children—but are the two connected? And who dare they trust?
CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR WRITING - NOMINATED 2024
A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK
From the acclaimed author of Elsetime, shortlisted for The Awesome Book Award, winner of the Wells Festival of Literature Award Children’s Book Award, a historical fantasy thriller with a dazzling, but tiny heroine who will stop at nothing to catch a memory thief and restore some lost children to their parents. Set in Paris in 1888—both above and below ground. Follow Piaf into the depths of the Catacombs, down tunnels among the dead and the living on a furious chase against time.
Internal illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska
Cover art by Holly Ovenden
12-year-old Piaf has the ability to (and burden of) remembering everything that has happened since the day she was born. When she discovers everyone in Paris has forgotten the entire last year, 1887, including the disappearance of several gifted children, Piaf and her twin brother Luc embark on a dangerous journey that brings them to the depths of Paris’s underground twin, the Catacombs, to capture the memory thief and find the lost children—but are the two connected? And who dare they trust?
CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR WRITING - NOMINATED 2024
A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TIMES BOOK OF THE WEEK
From the acclaimed author of Elsetime, shortlisted for The Awesome Book Award, winner of the Wells Festival of Literature Award Children’s Book Award, a historical fantasy thriller with a dazzling, but tiny heroine who will stop at nothing to catch a memory thief and restore some lost children to their parents. Set in Paris in 1888—both above and below ground. Follow Piaf into the depths of the Catacombs, down tunnels among the dead and the living on a furious chase against time.
Internal illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska
Cover art by Holly Ovenden
324 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2022
1 person is currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 7, 2022
The Chestnut Roaster reads like a classic. A brilliant story that takes the reader on a wild adventure through the streets and catacombs of Paris during La Belle Époque. Piaf, the girl who cannot forget, is brave, determined and a wonderful hero to take us through this fast paced tale of evil scientists, missing children and lost relics. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop. Perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and Emma Carroll.
July 3, 2025
Solid magical realism read. Beautiful writing and an intriguing plot with crew of great dynamic characters. I don’t know if it was intentional but I think the main characters are coded as neurodivergent and I really appreciated and enjoyed that.
November 4, 2023
I loved this book. Piaf and Luc are great characters, the story is mysterious and exciting and you can almost smell 1888 Paris 😍📖😍
October 15, 2022
Ç'est magnifique! Remarquable! 5 étoiles!
This remarkable tale of chestnuts, catacombs, courage and the unbreakable bond between siblings is as unforgettable as the power of Piaf's extraordinary mind. A mesmerising, evocative, and highly original historical mystery, The Chestnut Roaster will dazzle and delight readers both young and old.
Perfect for fans of A.M. Howell, Emma Carroll and Lindsay Galvin.
This remarkable tale of chestnuts, catacombs, courage and the unbreakable bond between siblings is as unforgettable as the power of Piaf's extraordinary mind. A mesmerising, evocative, and highly original historical mystery, The Chestnut Roaster will dazzle and delight readers both young and old.
Perfect for fans of A.M. Howell, Emma Carroll and Lindsay Galvin.
May 30, 2023
Gorgeous cover by Holly Ovenden.
Inside illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska.
Firstly the cover by Holly Ovenden is gorgeous and captures story elements without revealing anything. It makes the book so appealing!
The book itself is a brilliant mystery tale that immerses you in Paris of 1888. It begins with twelve year old Chestnut Roaster Piaf, who cannot forget anything and her twin brother Luc who cannot remember anyone after an accident.
But all is not right in Paris, gifted children are going missing and everyone but Piaf seems to have forgotten a year. After a frightening encounter with a man Piaf discovers nefarious plots that not only threaten herself but everyone she holds dear. Joining with Luc, they are thrown into a race against time and must navigate Paris both above and below ground and various mysteries that emerge.
This is a gorgeous story, layered with mysteries, art and strong, appealing characters. Enhanced by the internal illustrations that are packed with haunting detail, this is a fabulous story interweaving of fiction and history. Highly recommend for readers who love mystery and history.
Inside illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska.
Firstly the cover by Holly Ovenden is gorgeous and captures story elements without revealing anything. It makes the book so appealing!
The book itself is a brilliant mystery tale that immerses you in Paris of 1888. It begins with twelve year old Chestnut Roaster Piaf, who cannot forget anything and her twin brother Luc who cannot remember anyone after an accident.
But all is not right in Paris, gifted children are going missing and everyone but Piaf seems to have forgotten a year. After a frightening encounter with a man Piaf discovers nefarious plots that not only threaten herself but everyone she holds dear. Joining with Luc, they are thrown into a race against time and must navigate Paris both above and below ground and various mysteries that emerge.
This is a gorgeous story, layered with mysteries, art and strong, appealing characters. Enhanced by the internal illustrations that are packed with haunting detail, this is a fabulous story interweaving of fiction and history. Highly recommend for readers who love mystery and history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2023
Good morning fellow readers, today I was just pondering around goodreads when it came up for a book called 'The chestnut roaster,' since I had nothing else to do I started reading it. Little did I know this would be one of the best books I have ever read. It was jam packed with adventures, emotions and much more! Overall this book Is a definite 5 out of 5!
July 20, 2022
(Thanks to the author and her publisher for sending me a proof of The Chestnut Roaster)
The depths of Eve McDonnell's imagination are astounding - that's the overall impression I had upon finishing her second novel, The Chestnut Roaster. This novel is an immersive, sensory, exciting journey through Paris in the year 1888, and the city comes to vivid fictional life in its pages. Piaf and her brother Luc, our main characters, work as chestnut roasters on the corner of Rue du Dragon - or, at least, they did, until Luc became ill and had to be cared for in the Hotel-Dieu, where an enigmatic Doctor is treating him for his mysterious symptoms. Piaf now works the roasting cart alone, where she is approached one fateful day by a strange man who tries to pretend he knows her, but Piaf knows better....
Piaf and Luc are twelve, and Piaf is an exceptionally well-drawn character; she is small, fidgety, talks a mile a minute, and is in possession of the most incredible memory, which works in such a satisfying and well-described way. She cannot forget anything, and in fact remembers everything that has ever happened to her, right from the moment of her birth. She has almost instant recall of every event in her life - a talent which comes in handy on more than one occasion in this story. I loved her fighting spirit, and her gradual realisation of the extent of her own strength and potential. Luc, too, is a wonderful character - gentle and brave, and Piaf's most staunch defender. I particularly enjoyed the twins' depiction as neurodivergent people, which is very well handled.
The book begins in October 1888, and Paris is agog with gossip about the identity of the individual who stole a valuable relic from Saint Chapelle - Rapiditus' Cabinet of Oils. Then, one day, Piaf realises everyone in the city has begun to act strangely, almost as if they have forgotten the entirety of the previous year - everybody but her. It's up to Piaf to uncover how, and why, the citizens of Paris have been robbed of a year's worth of memory, what has really happened to her beloved brother, and who the identity of the robber is. All the mysteries in Piaf's life come together in a well-plotted conclusion to her exciting, fast-paced, whirlwind of a story. Fans of McDonnell's earlier novel Elsetime will appreciate a similar sense of history melding with fiction, as well as strong, inventive, resourceful, intelligent child protagonists who are brave and driven by love for their dear ones, as well as a principled sense of justice. (Certainly, it appeals to me!)
The journey through Paris, both over- and underground, reward careful and close reading; the mysteries are brought to a satisfying finish; the interior illustrations by Ewa Berniak-Haremska are a joy, as is the beautiful cover by Holly Ovenden, and the brave, fidgety Piaf will linger in the memory.
The depths of Eve McDonnell's imagination are astounding - that's the overall impression I had upon finishing her second novel, The Chestnut Roaster. This novel is an immersive, sensory, exciting journey through Paris in the year 1888, and the city comes to vivid fictional life in its pages. Piaf and her brother Luc, our main characters, work as chestnut roasters on the corner of Rue du Dragon - or, at least, they did, until Luc became ill and had to be cared for in the Hotel-Dieu, where an enigmatic Doctor is treating him for his mysterious symptoms. Piaf now works the roasting cart alone, where she is approached one fateful day by a strange man who tries to pretend he knows her, but Piaf knows better....
Piaf and Luc are twelve, and Piaf is an exceptionally well-drawn character; she is small, fidgety, talks a mile a minute, and is in possession of the most incredible memory, which works in such a satisfying and well-described way. She cannot forget anything, and in fact remembers everything that has ever happened to her, right from the moment of her birth. She has almost instant recall of every event in her life - a talent which comes in handy on more than one occasion in this story. I loved her fighting spirit, and her gradual realisation of the extent of her own strength and potential. Luc, too, is a wonderful character - gentle and brave, and Piaf's most staunch defender. I particularly enjoyed the twins' depiction as neurodivergent people, which is very well handled.
The book begins in October 1888, and Paris is agog with gossip about the identity of the individual who stole a valuable relic from Saint Chapelle - Rapiditus' Cabinet of Oils. Then, one day, Piaf realises everyone in the city has begun to act strangely, almost as if they have forgotten the entirety of the previous year - everybody but her. It's up to Piaf to uncover how, and why, the citizens of Paris have been robbed of a year's worth of memory, what has really happened to her beloved brother, and who the identity of the robber is. All the mysteries in Piaf's life come together in a well-plotted conclusion to her exciting, fast-paced, whirlwind of a story. Fans of McDonnell's earlier novel Elsetime will appreciate a similar sense of history melding with fiction, as well as strong, inventive, resourceful, intelligent child protagonists who are brave and driven by love for their dear ones, as well as a principled sense of justice. (Certainly, it appeals to me!)
The journey through Paris, both over- and underground, reward careful and close reading; the mysteries are brought to a satisfying finish; the interior illustrations by Ewa Berniak-Haremska are a joy, as is the beautiful cover by Holly Ovenden, and the brave, fidgety Piaf will linger in the memory.
May 10, 2023
This is a fun adventure set in Paris in 1888 as the city prepares for the World Fair and to celebrate a hundred years since the fall of the Bastille. The story has a great premise, and things I particularly like about the book include:
The Setting: The story has a delightful Parisienne charm but I loved the fact that so much of the story takes place in Paris’s underground twin, the tunnels or catacombs beneath the city.
Pilaf: Our 12-year-old heroine suffers from hyperthymesia, a condition where an abnormally number of life experiences are retained in vivid detail. I love the depiction of Pilaf’s restlessness and how she has her tricks to keep herself attached to the present to avoid being lost in her past, twisting a favourite button, for example. Her relationship with twin brother Luc is endearing, and I love how they reconnect despite Luc having a very different memory problem.
The talents of the stolen children: In particular the delicately carved chestnut leaf which has a very definite purpose which I won’t mention to avoid spoilers, but I loved it.
Empress Josephine: If you’ve read the book, you’ll know why!
Highly recommend
The Setting: The story has a delightful Parisienne charm but I loved the fact that so much of the story takes place in Paris’s underground twin, the tunnels or catacombs beneath the city.
Pilaf: Our 12-year-old heroine suffers from hyperthymesia, a condition where an abnormally number of life experiences are retained in vivid detail. I love the depiction of Pilaf’s restlessness and how she has her tricks to keep herself attached to the present to avoid being lost in her past, twisting a favourite button, for example. Her relationship with twin brother Luc is endearing, and I love how they reconnect despite Luc having a very different memory problem.
The talents of the stolen children: In particular the delicately carved chestnut leaf which has a very definite purpose which I won’t mention to avoid spoilers, but I loved it.
Empress Josephine: If you’ve read the book, you’ll know why!
Highly recommend
October 21, 2023
Having thoroughly enjoyed Eve McDonnell's debut, 'Elsetime', I knew that I would be in for a treat with 'The Chestnut Roaster'. I mostly read nonfiction and history books but I love how McDonnell makes space for magic in between. She introduces us to beautiful Paris in 1888 and then stirs in a fantastic adventure when Piaf, the little girl at the centre of this story, realises that an attempt has been made to kidnap her, for her superpower memory. After some confusion, Piaf realises that everyone else in Paris is missing a year - a brilliant concept which skewers the likes of her mother and friend in a troublesome light as it seems they are enabling the villain to carry out his mission. Furthermore, gifted children are missing too, including her twin brother, Luc, though only Piaf knows this as everyone is stuck back in 1887, when all was well. The book is illustrated with pages of glorious drawings from Ewa Beniak-Haremska and I could absolutely see this working as a film or even as a lavish comic book/graphic novel. The writer also provides an interesting insight into the creating of this story at the back of the book. Highly recommend for nine year olds and upwards!
August 9, 2023
This isn’t my kind of book at all, but I’ll still be recommending it to my pupils as some of them will definitely enjoy it, and it’s a we-written gripping adventure.
I don’t really like fantasy and this story is certainly fantastical. Yes, it takes place in the real city of Paris, at a real point in history, 1888. Yes, I know there are catacombs beneath the streets of Paris, but that’s the end of the reality.
Stolen memories, magic gases, a wicked doctor… these are not what I enjoy. But I did like the strength of the brother-sister/twin relationship and the underlying message that being small does not make you weak/unimportant/ less than others.
I don’t really like fantasy and this story is certainly fantastical. Yes, it takes place in the real city of Paris, at a real point in history, 1888. Yes, I know there are catacombs beneath the streets of Paris, but that’s the end of the reality.
Stolen memories, magic gases, a wicked doctor… these are not what I enjoy. But I did like the strength of the brother-sister/twin relationship and the underlying message that being small does not make you weak/unimportant/ less than others.
January 18, 2023
Eve was advised to move from art to writing by a fortune teller. She now advises others on creative writing. That discipline is evident in this disappointing novel - notably in the liberal use of simile.
The basic idea is inspired, the historical research admirable [there's a long note at the end] and the action pacey, sometimes violent. But the quality of the writing makes it a hard read for me [see above] and the Poirot use of French - only words that everyone will know, and for which the speaker is least likely to revert to their native tongue ...
The basic idea is inspired, the historical research admirable [there's a long note at the end] and the action pacey, sometimes violent. But the quality of the writing makes it a hard read for me [see above] and the Poirot use of French - only words that everyone will know, and for which the speaker is least likely to revert to their native tongue ...
October 24, 2022
This is a book Paris lover would truly enjoy. Plot takes place both above and below the city, in the catacombs. There's a mysterious fog in the city that makes people forget and one bright chestnut roaster and her brother to solve the mystery. Take deep breath and brave the dark tunnels of Paris.
November 14, 2022
A unique and entertaining tale.
This is a historical tale that has an abundance of twists and turns and an inspirational cast of young characters that are bold and brave.
The story was made even better with the fantastic illustrations really bringing it to life.
This is a historical tale that has an abundance of twists and turns and an inspirational cast of young characters that are bold and brave.
The story was made even better with the fantastic illustrations really bringing it to life.
December 30, 2022
Finishing my reading year on a high with #TheChestnutRoaster. A thrilling adventure through the labyrinthine catacombs of 19th century Paris with original characters and evocative prose. I loved it. 5 🌟 Eve McDonnell is the real deal
August 15, 2023
Brilliant. Paris, the catacombs, a mysterious forgetting and a girl who remembers everything. What would you do if it was your job to rescue children who no one remembered had gone missing? Piaf is a wonderful main character, and this has a glorious darkness about it.
January 9, 2024
It’s a beautifully written story that’s wonderfully atmospheric and haunting. Such a unique historical setting and a lovely mystery throughout, with great characters to root for. Really loved it.
March 24, 2024
My kid was assigned this, and she demanded that I read the first chapter, and it absolutely hooked me on all the historical tidbits about Paris.
January 3, 2026
This is A beautiful tale about two close twins Piaf and Lucy who go on a thrilling adventure under neath Paris! I
Would definitely recommend reading as it had such beautiful structure and wording! Although would probably be more enjoyed by 11+)
Would definitely recommend reading as it had such beautiful structure and wording! Although would probably be more enjoyed by 11+)
December 17, 2022
A book that deals with family, friendship and the function of memory...and one of the most intriguing and exciting adventures I have read in a long, long time. The atmosphere of La Belle Époque is captured perfectly, with all the clattering and noise, the sights and the smells of the time and the possibility that, perhaps, everyone was forgetting something as they rushed along in this prosperous bustle. The relationship between brother and sister adds an interesting look at dependency and independence; one child who remembers everything and the other who has forgotten everything. Piafs' unique gift and utter determination pulls the two together to create an unbreakable bond and allows them both to blossom in the most unlikely circumstances. In the telling of the tale, the interplay of light and dark (quite literally) creates mood, atmosphere and tangibility. The reader has something firm to grasp as they travel the above and below Paris. The city itself takes on the role of a character lurking in the background. It is fascinating that below Paris is a whole other twin relationship come to the for; it is identical, yet radically different; dark, dank, full of bones and completely forgotten by those above on the city streets. But alive with memory and secrets. This is a story of an extraordinary adventure...and an extraordinary girl. Told in a genuine voice and steady, true pace, it is marvelous. Beautifully written and including the wonderful black and white illustrations that add much life and mood to the tale; gripping, dramatic with little bursts of humour, heartfelt and completely magical.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews