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The Patron Thief of Bread
A beautifully crafted middle-grade novel spiced with magic—and gargoyles!—from the acclaimed author of Hour of the Bees and Race to the Bottom of the Sea.
Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a roving band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns, eight-year-old Duck keeps her head down and her mouth shut. It’s a rollicking life, always thieving, always on the run—until the ragtag Crowns infiltrate an abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne and decide to set down roots. It’s all part of the bold new plan hatched by the Crowns’ fearless leader, one of their very own will pose as an apprentice to the local baker, relieving Master Griselde of bread and coin to fill the bellies and line the pockets of all the Crowns. But no sooner is Duck apprenticed to the kindly Griselde than Duck’s allegiances start to blur. Who is she really—a Crown or an apprentice baker? And who does she want to be? Meanwhile, high above the streets of Odierne, on the roof of the unfinished cathedral, an old and ugly gargoyle grows weary of waiting to fulfill his own destiny—to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this exquisite novel evokes a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and what it means to be rescued.
Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a roving band of street urchins who call themselves the Crowns, eight-year-old Duck keeps her head down and her mouth shut. It’s a rollicking life, always thieving, always on the run—until the ragtag Crowns infiltrate an abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne and decide to set down roots. It’s all part of the bold new plan hatched by the Crowns’ fearless leader, one of their very own will pose as an apprentice to the local baker, relieving Master Griselde of bread and coin to fill the bellies and line the pockets of all the Crowns. But no sooner is Duck apprenticed to the kindly Griselde than Duck’s allegiances start to blur. Who is she really—a Crown or an apprentice baker? And who does she want to be? Meanwhile, high above the streets of Odierne, on the roof of the unfinished cathedral, an old and ugly gargoyle grows weary of waiting to fulfill his own destiny—to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this exquisite novel evokes a timeless tale of love, self-discovery, and what it means to be rescued.
448 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2022
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3018 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
April 5, 2023
What a lovely book to end Middle Grade March. It was long, but it was glorious. Deftly explores themes of found family, unconditional love, and—in my mind—ethics. A gang of street kids in France during the middle-ages find a town in which they want to plant roots. The leader, a manipulative, sneering boy named Gnat, sends the youngest and quietest member of their gang, Duck, to apprentice with a baker. Over time the kind-hearted baker worms her way into young Duck’s heart and Duck then must navigate not only where her heart lies, but also the nuances of right and wrong. Beautifully written and compelling with the *most* lovable mother-figure you’ll find in kid-lit. Just a wonderful story!
May 4, 2022
Told in the alternating perspectives of Duck and the unnamed gargoyle, The Patron Thief of Bread is a story of belonging, family and loyalty. It's a story that will pull at your heartstrings, especially over the beautiful relationship that develops between Master Griselde and Duck. So very sweet. Duck is defiantly the star of this story. I love how she grew under the love and attention of Master Griselde, how she begins to question Gnat's motives and how the guilt of stealing from the baker ways on her. This is one of those slower, thoughtful books plot wise, but it will stick with you after reading it. It reminded me of a gentler Oliver Twist mixed with Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame and all the warmth of a freshly baked loaf of grandma's banana bread. **Thank you, Candlewick Press for the ARC paperback**
July 16, 2022
Easily one of the best middle grade readers of 2022. A definite 2023 Newbery contender.
November 26, 2022
This was... okay. It was too many things at once and they just didn't work for me as a single entity. It felt like a book about a homeless girl finding a home, and a separate book about a girl from a gang being reformed. The gang thing was a bit softly handled, but this is a middle grade book, and low middle grade at that. And... that's where another problem arises. This is nearly 450 pages, with a character who only becomes active in maybe the last 50.
I do think it could've been good and I think the author creates an evocative sense of how a baker's life feels. The problem is that's wrapped up in something that has heavy Les Mis vibes and all the failures of that book, too. It's too long and too simplistic and far too religious for my liking.
There's nothing wrong with a book taking its time. The problem lies in trying to be two things at once: if this were purely a book about Duck finding home, the rambling way would have been well suited, but it tries to be more and it just doesn't work.
I would have enjoyed this much more if it were YA, so that the character could be more active and take more engagement in her own life. As it was, the two stories were just too poorly integrated, the external world not nearly built up enough, and the plot a bit too "barely there" for most of the book. I didn't dislike it, but I don't expect I'll seek out more of the author's work, going forward.
I do think it could've been good and I think the author creates an evocative sense of how a baker's life feels. The problem is that's wrapped up in something that has heavy Les Mis vibes and all the failures of that book, too. It's too long and too simplistic and far too religious for my liking.
There's nothing wrong with a book taking its time. The problem lies in trying to be two things at once: if this were purely a book about Duck finding home, the rambling way would have been well suited, but it tries to be more and it just doesn't work.
I would have enjoyed this much more if it were YA, so that the character could be more active and take more engagement in her own life. As it was, the two stories were just too poorly integrated, the external world not nearly built up enough, and the plot a bit too "barely there" for most of the book. I didn't dislike it, but I don't expect I'll seek out more of the author's work, going forward.
July 22, 2022
I love that this book has enough substance to have a good discussion about. I would love to discuss Duck's loyalty to the Crowns and her relationship with Gnat and Ash. Is Griselda too good to be true? I hope not, I really loved her. I loved the gargoyle as a character and how he was portrayed. His interactions with the birds was priceless. There was a lot to like about this book, though it is a longer read.
This book brought to mind a question that has plagued me for awhile. Sometimes when I am reading children's chapter books I wonder if they are written for children or for adults. This is an example of that. I'd love to find readers for this book in my school. I'm just thinking here but I wonder if my question has to do with books unfolding so slowly and wondering if children have the patience to wait for it. YA books seem to grab you and hold on but some children's books (grades 3-6) seem to go at a slower pace. They are good, no doubt about it, but it seems like children need more excitement. This circles back to my question. Are these books more for adults even though the main characters are children? I'm still pondering on this question and hope to find students for whom this book will be a perfect fit.
This book brought to mind a question that has plagued me for awhile. Sometimes when I am reading children's chapter books I wonder if they are written for children or for adults. This is an example of that. I'd love to find readers for this book in my school. I'm just thinking here but I wonder if my question has to do with books unfolding so slowly and wondering if children have the patience to wait for it. YA books seem to grab you and hold on but some children's books (grades 3-6) seem to go at a slower pace. They are good, no doubt about it, but it seems like children need more excitement. This circles back to my question. Are these books more for adults even though the main characters are children? I'm still pondering on this question and hope to find students for whom this book will be a perfect fit.
June 1, 2022
Oh my goodness oh my goodness oh my goodness! This was such a heartwarming, exciting and satisfying story.
Duck 🦆 is an eight year old orphan that is part of a local gang of children thieves called the Crowns. Due to gang rivalries and empty bellies, she is sent to be an apprentice baker for the kind Griselda Baker, a jolly woman who cares after Duck like her own daughter. Little does she know that Duck is thieving throughout her apprenticeship, though with a very heavy heart as she grows to really love the baker. 🥺
This is a lovely coming of age story filled with tension, character growth and some of the best descriptions I’ve ever read. It’s not heavy on the worldbuilding, which I think is purposeful since everything takes place in the same township with a generic European feel. Likely Parisian, given how religiously people care for their bread. 🥖 🥐 🍰
In a nutshell 🌰: Annie meets Six of Crows meets The Hunchback of Notre Dame (specifically the sentient gargoyles).
I can’t remember the last time I read a middle grade novel, but this is convincing me to pick up more of them.
Duck 🦆 is an eight year old orphan that is part of a local gang of children thieves called the Crowns. Due to gang rivalries and empty bellies, she is sent to be an apprentice baker for the kind Griselda Baker, a jolly woman who cares after Duck like her own daughter. Little does she know that Duck is thieving throughout her apprenticeship, though with a very heavy heart as she grows to really love the baker. 🥺
This is a lovely coming of age story filled with tension, character growth and some of the best descriptions I’ve ever read. It’s not heavy on the worldbuilding, which I think is purposeful since everything takes place in the same township with a generic European feel. Likely Parisian, given how religiously people care for their bread. 🥖 🥐 🍰
In a nutshell 🌰: Annie meets Six of Crows meets The Hunchback of Notre Dame (specifically the sentient gargoyles).
I can’t remember the last time I read a middle grade novel, but this is convincing me to pick up more of them.
April 29, 2024
What a gem of a book to read amidst the duds of April! Lindsay Eager fashions the timeless story of blessed thieves. Thieves that hook readers and steal our attention in their search for a bit of bread. A clever lot assembled by an author that knows how to use words. Every word on this page was intentionally placed by Eager. Nothing is overdone. Additionally, Eagar delves into themes that, I feel, are unique for Western literature. Reflections by characters on how people must chose their own paths, how change must come from them and not others or societal influence, and finally how there is no right way to living only repercussions from choices. It’s refreshing. And the best thing of all? THERE ARE GARGOYLES IN THIS BOOK!
Review Continued Here
Review Continued Here
July 17, 2022
Beautiful sentences, but entirely too long.
September 26, 2022
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, but I’m still not sure if it’s a story actually written for children, or a child’s story written for adults.
Cw: several uses of d—n
I really enjoyed this book, but I’m still not sure if it’s a story actually written for children, or a child’s story written for adults.
Cw: several uses of d—n
November 18, 2022
A gang of child thieves, a blind baker with a huge heart, and watchful gargoyles from a never-completed cathedral . . . I loved it all!
January 31, 2023
I read it because I liked the title and the blurb said it was about a cathedral. Sadly the cathedral barely had anything to do with it. Maybe it's just another middle grade novel that I'm too old for, but I was baffled by the choices the main character made. Yes, she's only eight (isn't that a little young for a middle grade protagonist anyway?), but the narrator kept trying to convince me that the minor characters that had no depth to them were a better "found family" than the baker. The religious aspects were interesting? There were references to everything from rosaries and repentance to Easter and Christmas, but it seemed agnostic at best. The descriptive writing was actually nice, but the editor should have done some work on transitions from thought to thought and removed the repetitive event that was just annoying.
May 7, 2022
a very good book, and I loved all the details of being apprenticed to a baker, and such a lovely baker too! (really the bestest mother figure in any middle grade book I've read for ages). But the overall situation was so tense and discomfiting this was not at all a comfort read...tension strung out from beginning to end. (reading the end didn't help, because I knew, it being middle grade, things would almost certainly work out, but the process of things working out was very stressful for me the reader!) It's a middle grade fantasy (alternate world, with a gargoyle up on the unfinished cathedral providing a depressed gargoyle's point of view), but it's not full of magic. Just found family and bread, and worry....lots of love, and a happy ending.
April 11, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I truly enjoyed this adventurous historical story. Duck was born into a gang of street children. Well, not BORN, but rescued from a river as an infant. As the Crowns settle into a new city, the leader elects eight-year-Duck to apply as an apprentice to a baker, with the idea that she’ll work on the inside to keep the gang fed. But as Duck grows to love the baker and the life she provides, she is torn between enjoying a real, loving home and the life she’s always known. Then it all comes crumbling down in one disastrous night. Recommended for grades 5-6.
January 21, 2023
Easily one of my favorite books of 2022, perhaps made better by the fantastic audiobook. Not entirely sure of the audience appeal? But I think a good choice for family road trips.
January 17, 2024
This was a lovely book! Thieves, friendship, finding family, there were so many of my favorite themes in this book. I loved Duck, and Griselde, and the gargoyle was delightful. I read it myself but it would be a fun read aloud with kids as well.
“Do you know, pray, how a cathedral is built? It is a very complicated process to build something made of hopes.
If you walked past such a construction site, you
might see the mortar maker inspecting a seam between two stone blocks, his master nodding with approval, and you may think this is all it is—one block after another until the whole building is finished.
But every completed cathedral is a stone-made miracle. A miracle.
All cathedrals start as dreams. Not one persons dream but the collective dreams of many. It is a heavy thing to share, a dream.
Person after person, some important, some insignificant, and they all must be willing to die for this dream.
A person who builds a cathedral knows that they will probably not be alive by the time its completed. To find someone willing to live with this kind of eternal thinking? Nearly imposible. But there are some.”
“I can only trust that, fire or no fire, God knows what is best.”
“Do you know, pray, how a cathedral is built? It is a very complicated process to build something made of hopes.
If you walked past such a construction site, you
might see the mortar maker inspecting a seam between two stone blocks, his master nodding with approval, and you may think this is all it is—one block after another until the whole building is finished.
But every completed cathedral is a stone-made miracle. A miracle.
All cathedrals start as dreams. Not one persons dream but the collective dreams of many. It is a heavy thing to share, a dream.
Person after person, some important, some insignificant, and they all must be willing to die for this dream.
A person who builds a cathedral knows that they will probably not be alive by the time its completed. To find someone willing to live with this kind of eternal thinking? Nearly imposible. But there are some.”
“I can only trust that, fire or no fire, God knows what is best.”
October 2, 2023
I buddy read this book with my 11 year old and I loved it so much! I’m so glad I decided to read it with him. This story has so many wonderful themes of family, love, repentance, forgiveness. The descriptions of bread and how the smell of rosemary would always find Duck. Griselda, the baker, is the most wonderful Mother figure. And the unique perspective of a gargoyle! I thought it was really lovely and I would definitely recommend. My 11 year old loved it as well.
December 8, 2025
So wholesome and cute I love it
July 19, 2022
Charming! I really enjoyed Duck as a main character and her relationships, particularly with Griselde. I liked watching her come into her own and I liked that although she had a hidden origin, she wasn't a secret princess or something.
My least favorite aspect was probably the gargoyle's interludes...if it were up to me I would probably cut all but the first one, the last two, and maybe one in the middle? They were prettily-written but really repetitive. Each interlude reinforces the gargoyle's growing hopelessness and reminds us of his backstory while grinding the pacing to a halt for several pages. Even the first one, which serves as sort of a prologue, felt like it dragged on really long.
But now that I've complained, let me reaffirm that this really is a charming middle grade coming-of-age story, with lots of focus on bread-baking, friendships, and the challenges of coming into your own while pulled in different directions by the people in your life.
My least favorite aspect was probably the gargoyle's interludes...if it were up to me I would probably cut all but the first one, the last two, and maybe one in the middle? They were prettily-written but really repetitive. Each interlude reinforces the gargoyle's growing hopelessness and reminds us of his backstory while grinding the pacing to a halt for several pages. Even the first one, which serves as sort of a prologue, felt like it dragged on really long.
But now that I've complained, let me reaffirm that this really is a charming middle grade coming-of-age story, with lots of focus on bread-baking, friendships, and the challenges of coming into your own while pulled in different directions by the people in your life.
December 26, 2022
A gargoyle as a character, a thief learning to make choices, redemption, and many characters dealing with grief and loss that comes together in a powerful ending.
June 14, 2025
PARENTS BEWARE!
This book contains anti-Christian, specifically anti-Catholic rhetoric that is aimed at your children. This book was incredibly insulting as a Catholic to read, especially as the author titled her book in reference to a very scared part of Catholicism-the idea of “patron saints”
Similar to MT Anderson’s new book “Nicked” which is about Catholic relics, Eager uses her platform to mock aspects of Catholicism and Christianity.
#1 Prayer is Mocked
Not a big fan of the author pushing the idea of “prayer does nothing”
Below is an actual quote from the gargoyle character
“pray all you want, God cannot hear us…no one hears prayers of the ugly” (190)
This is spoken after the gargoyle briefly considers praying to God to help him be able to move and be able to affect the world around him rather than serving as a sentry.
And yes, this is shown to be “true” in the book as in one of the final scenes, rather than pray for something to happen, the gargoyle acts on his own will and moves and thereby, the book places personal agency over a reliance on prayer. This is a clear attack on Christian values!
#2 Catholicism is mocked in multiple ways.
Insulting sacred hymns by name- the gargoyle makes up new lyrics for the “awful” hymns the sisters sing next door like “Be thou my vision” which is explicitly mentioned and portrayed as sounding bad.
Insulting religious sisters—the gargoyle character calls them ugly and insults their “boring” routine of praying and worshipping.
Fake relics (295)— Of course she also takes a dig at the Catholic’s belief in relics by making the one in the story a fake and portraying the Cardinals as con men who are greedy and made it up on purpose. There are very few positive portrayals of Catholics in this book, which goes go show you how skewed it is.
Violations on the Sacrament— The biggest thing that will insult every practicing Catholic is the violation against the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Any Catholic knows that this practice is Sacred with a capital S, that’s why it is one of only 7 Sacraments of the Church. In the book, a character makes a confession that is heard by a sister and not a Catholic priest PLUS the confession is made in the presence of others rather than privately (423) and what’s even more wrong is that the religious sister grants that character an improper penance and absolution for her sins! (425) Absolution can only be granted by and through a Catholic priest who acts as a vessel for God in the confessional and a confession heard in the presence of others is invalid. It’s is meant to be a completely private conversation between just you and God (who is present through the priest)
It is incredibly disheartening to see my faith attacked like this and every parent who holds religious values should strongly consider before they allow their child to read this book which so easily leads astray young minds away from prayer and from God.
This book contains anti-Christian, specifically anti-Catholic rhetoric that is aimed at your children. This book was incredibly insulting as a Catholic to read, especially as the author titled her book in reference to a very scared part of Catholicism-the idea of “patron saints”
Similar to MT Anderson’s new book “Nicked” which is about Catholic relics, Eager uses her platform to mock aspects of Catholicism and Christianity.
#1 Prayer is Mocked
Not a big fan of the author pushing the idea of “prayer does nothing”
Below is an actual quote from the gargoyle character
“pray all you want, God cannot hear us…no one hears prayers of the ugly” (190)
This is spoken after the gargoyle briefly considers praying to God to help him be able to move and be able to affect the world around him rather than serving as a sentry.
And yes, this is shown to be “true” in the book as in one of the final scenes, rather than pray for something to happen, the gargoyle acts on his own will and moves and thereby, the book places personal agency over a reliance on prayer. This is a clear attack on Christian values!
#2 Catholicism is mocked in multiple ways.
Insulting sacred hymns by name- the gargoyle makes up new lyrics for the “awful” hymns the sisters sing next door like “Be thou my vision” which is explicitly mentioned and portrayed as sounding bad.
Insulting religious sisters—the gargoyle character calls them ugly and insults their “boring” routine of praying and worshipping.
Fake relics (295)— Of course she also takes a dig at the Catholic’s belief in relics by making the one in the story a fake and portraying the Cardinals as con men who are greedy and made it up on purpose. There are very few positive portrayals of Catholics in this book, which goes go show you how skewed it is.
Violations on the Sacrament— The biggest thing that will insult every practicing Catholic is the violation against the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Any Catholic knows that this practice is Sacred with a capital S, that’s why it is one of only 7 Sacraments of the Church. In the book, a character makes a confession that is heard by a sister and not a Catholic priest PLUS the confession is made in the presence of others rather than privately (423) and what’s even more wrong is that the religious sister grants that character an improper penance and absolution for her sins! (425) Absolution can only be granted by and through a Catholic priest who acts as a vessel for God in the confessional and a confession heard in the presence of others is invalid. It’s is meant to be a completely private conversation between just you and God (who is present through the priest)
It is incredibly disheartening to see my faith attacked like this and every parent who holds religious values should strongly consider before they allow their child to read this book which so easily leads astray young minds away from prayer and from God.
December 17, 2022
Oh my! Far and away my favorite novel of the year. Lindsay Eager’s careful word choice, vivid imagery, well developed characters, perfectly paced plot development—I could go on and on about her literary hallmarks—all combine to create a truly remarkable read. Nothing feels forced or overly explained. Lots of children’s authors have tried to convey the spirit of the Middle Ages, but none so evocatively. Eager immerses the reader in this difficult time without being overly explanatory. I could feel the mud and the dripping rain. I could smell the rosemary and the bread baking. For example, here’s how she describes a secondary character, the town notary:
“Master Nichol Frobertus was a wiry old man with a pair of coin-sized spectacles that hooked over his springy ears, and he was never not squinting; he glanced at everything around him with ancient suspicion, his forehead collapsed in permanent wrinkles” (p. 156.)
She’s a literary alchemist combining a smidge of JK Rowling’s wild creativity, a healthy dose of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist and a dash of Adam Gidwitz’s The Inquisitor’s Tale. All combine to create gold. Newbery, perhaps? I hope so. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS NOVEL! For attentive, engaged middle grade readers. I’m baking bread right now. I can’t wait to read it again. Worthy of careful study in any Children’s Lit class. So well done.
“Master Nichol Frobertus was a wiry old man with a pair of coin-sized spectacles that hooked over his springy ears, and he was never not squinting; he glanced at everything around him with ancient suspicion, his forehead collapsed in permanent wrinkles” (p. 156.)
She’s a literary alchemist combining a smidge of JK Rowling’s wild creativity, a healthy dose of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist and a dash of Adam Gidwitz’s The Inquisitor’s Tale. All combine to create gold. Newbery, perhaps? I hope so. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS NOVEL! For attentive, engaged middle grade readers. I’m baking bread right now. I can’t wait to read it again. Worthy of careful study in any Children’s Lit class. So well done.
December 22, 2022
I read this on the recommendation of my 10 year old daughter, who read an ARC picked up at ALA. Thanks to the publisher for a copy and for the audio version as well.
Y’all, this book is phenomenal. The characters are so rich and engaging. You are rooting for them all at every step. I was desperate for the mother/ daughter relationship to develop between the baker and Duck, and I was not disappointed.
Y’all, this book is phenomenal. The characters are so rich and engaging. You are rooting for them all at every step. I was desperate for the mother/ daughter relationship to develop between the baker and Duck, and I was not disappointed.
April 4, 2023
Excellent middle grade, made even better by a great audio narration! I loved the story and the way it was told. Enthralled from beginning to end.
August 12, 2024
Started out with 5 stars but …. not realistic portrayal of a nine year old and plot deteriorated
September 17, 2025
This was SUCH a fun read, 12 year old me would have raaaaaaved about this book. If you are looking for something easy and entertaining this is for you.
August 19, 2024
Read this for Reddit Fantasy's 2024 Bingo Square Criminals. This qualifies for hard mode as one of the two protagonists, the human child Duck, ends up forced into a situation where she has to commit a number of smaller thefts leading to one large heist.
Our first protagonist is a gargoyle, the largest one on the roof of an abandoned unfinished Cathedral in the town of Odierne. He yearns to fulfill his own destiny—to watch and protect, frustrated at his inability to do anything that one time he witnessed a woman running from the law leap off the cathedral's roof with her baby, falling into a river and disappearing. Over time, he's gotten more and embittered and grumpy, and then there are those pigeons!
The human protagonist, Duck, was fished from the river as an infant and raised by The Crowns, a roving band of street urchin who have had to move into the abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne after being forced out of their previous territory. When the local big bad gang forbids them to steal in Odierne, the Crowns’ fearless leader, Gnat hatches a new plan. One of them will pose as an apprentice to the local baker, relieving Master Griselde of bread and coin to fill the bellies and line the pockets of all the Crowns. Their choice? The tiny pathetic looking Duck.
The inevitable happens after Duck apprenticed to the kindly Griselde who basically Mothers her, causing a crisis of conscience and identity. The juxtaposition of viewpoints in 2 characters linked by one incident (Duck is the baby of the woman who leapt from the Gargoyle's cathedral) is skillfully done, however I just couldn't bring myself to like Duck no matter how many excuses (age, circumstances, her "family") the author made for her, since she actually knows she's guilty.
In contrast, the writing for the gargoyle's point of view is masterful. Through his eyes, we felt the passage of time and his frustration at being forced into the role of watcher as the world just passed him by. I couldn't help but relate to and like him. He is the saving grace of this book since I hated the other protagonist, especially after things played out exactly as I expected, the author telegraphed way too much too early so the ending was kind of predictable.
Our first protagonist is a gargoyle, the largest one on the roof of an abandoned unfinished Cathedral in the town of Odierne. He yearns to fulfill his own destiny—to watch and protect, frustrated at his inability to do anything that one time he witnessed a woman running from the law leap off the cathedral's roof with her baby, falling into a river and disappearing. Over time, he's gotten more and embittered and grumpy, and then there are those pigeons!
The human protagonist, Duck, was fished from the river as an infant and raised by The Crowns, a roving band of street urchin who have had to move into the abandoned cathedral in the city of Odierne after being forced out of their previous territory. When the local big bad gang forbids them to steal in Odierne, the Crowns’ fearless leader, Gnat hatches a new plan. One of them will pose as an apprentice to the local baker, relieving Master Griselde of bread and coin to fill the bellies and line the pockets of all the Crowns. Their choice? The tiny pathetic looking Duck.
The inevitable happens after Duck apprenticed to the kindly Griselde who basically Mothers her, causing a crisis of conscience and identity. The juxtaposition of viewpoints in 2 characters linked by one incident (Duck is the baby of the woman who leapt from the Gargoyle's cathedral) is skillfully done, however I just couldn't bring myself to like Duck no matter how many excuses (age, circumstances, her "family") the author made for her, since she actually knows she's guilty.
In contrast, the writing for the gargoyle's point of view is masterful. Through his eyes, we felt the passage of time and his frustration at being forced into the role of watcher as the world just passed him by. I couldn't help but relate to and like him. He is the saving grace of this book since I hated the other protagonist, especially after things played out exactly as I expected, the author telegraphed way too much too early so the ending was kind of predictable.
September 21, 2022
I love the cover because two images can be seen when you change your perspective, black outline of a girl tossing coins and black print of a gargoyle on a cathedral wall.
The opening is told in the gargoyle’s point of view and the statue sees a young woman carrying her baby while running from men. As they almost capture her, she jumps into the river while holding onto her baby. Eight years later, Duck is a young girl within a group of traveling thieves. She’s trying to prove that she’s helpful and ends up as a baker’s apprentice to infiltrate the bakery and steal from inside. She continues to give bread to her thief group, the Crowns, but doubts more and more that she’s doing the right thing because she’s feeling loved by the baker. As the stakes rise, Duck will have to make some tough choices and decide who her family is and who she’s loyal to. 4 stars for this sweet tale of finding your true self.
Ethnicity is predominantly white; it is a historical fiction fantasy.
Language content: no swears
Violence content: PG - men chasing woman and baby and she’s running for their safety.
Mature content: PG - thievery, grooming for a gang
Likes/dislikes: I like the baker. She’s tremendously generous and kind. I appreciate the author’s writing of Duck’s conflicts between right and wrong and in finding her sense of belonging. This is a clean read with a good message. Alternating timelines with a unique gargoyle and a young girl named Duck.
The opening is told in the gargoyle’s point of view and the statue sees a young woman carrying her baby while running from men. As they almost capture her, she jumps into the river while holding onto her baby. Eight years later, Duck is a young girl within a group of traveling thieves. She’s trying to prove that she’s helpful and ends up as a baker’s apprentice to infiltrate the bakery and steal from inside. She continues to give bread to her thief group, the Crowns, but doubts more and more that she’s doing the right thing because she’s feeling loved by the baker. As the stakes rise, Duck will have to make some tough choices and decide who her family is and who she’s loyal to. 4 stars for this sweet tale of finding your true self.
Ethnicity is predominantly white; it is a historical fiction fantasy.
Language content: no swears
Violence content: PG - men chasing woman and baby and she’s running for their safety.
Mature content: PG - thievery, grooming for a gang
Likes/dislikes: I like the baker. She’s tremendously generous and kind. I appreciate the author’s writing of Duck’s conflicts between right and wrong and in finding her sense of belonging. This is a clean read with a good message. Alternating timelines with a unique gargoyle and a young girl named Duck.
January 22, 2023
This is a very engaging book. The main characters are well-developed. The story keeps me on my toes waiting to find out what happens next - hoping things will go a certain way. I truly enjoyed reading it, and I will recommend it to others.
There are a number of issues I take however. First, she could have done a better job with the gargoyle. Its deep thoughts don't mesh well with its oft-displayed immaturity. Next, I found it extremely odd that these knights were going around signing autographs. I guess the author was trying to equate middle-ages popular icons to those of today, but it was weird. And last, the author seemed to try justifying terrible behavior as 'It's okay - it's just how some people are.' Especially Gnat. He was a terrible person - he didn't help Duck in any way, shape or form. He was given opportunities to live a good life, but he decided not to.
There are a number of issues I take however. First, she could have done a better job with the gargoyle. Its deep thoughts don't mesh well with its oft-displayed immaturity. Next, I found it extremely odd that these knights were going around signing autographs. I guess the author was trying to equate middle-ages popular icons to those of today, but it was weird. And last, the author seemed to try justifying terrible behavior as 'It's okay - it's just how some people are.' Especially Gnat. He was a terrible person - he didn't help Duck in any way, shape or form. He was given opportunities to live a good life, but he decided not to.
March 20, 2023
This was such a heartwarming story.💕 In a nutshell, it’s about a young orphan and a sentient gargoyle finding their purposes in life. The story alternates between their perspectives, and for the reader, it’s absolutely wonderful when their paths finally cross.
“I am by myself. Always by myself.
But I have done it. I have protected. A proper gargoyle at last.
It ends not in dust, but in waves and water.”
The bond between the baker and her apprentice is the sweetest thing.💕
“These are delicious,” she told Griselde. “Now you can retire and let her take over, yes?”
Griselde laughed. “Let’s wait until she’s big enough to see over the counters, shall we? At the rate she’s growing, that’ll be very soon.”
4 stars✨
Book 19/52
~The Story Girl
“I am by myself. Always by myself.
But I have done it. I have protected. A proper gargoyle at last.
It ends not in dust, but in waves and water.”
The bond between the baker and her apprentice is the sweetest thing.💕
“These are delicious,” she told Griselde. “Now you can retire and let her take over, yes?”
Griselde laughed. “Let’s wait until she’s big enough to see over the counters, shall we? At the rate she’s growing, that’ll be very soon.”
4 stars✨
Book 19/52
~The Story Girl
November 12, 2023
This was definitely for a younger audience than I thought when I picked it up because it was sitting with the regular fantasy books, but it looked interesting so I got it.
Ultimately a very cute book! It was really well-written which is how it was able to keep my interest and I enjoyed it!
Ultimately a very cute book! It was really well-written which is how it was able to keep my interest and I enjoyed it!
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