‘Glendinning writes with a vivid immediacy about a fascinating, dark moment in our island story… a refreshing and original tale [about] the underside of Henry’s religious Reformation.’ The Times

'Marvellous.... heart-breaking and unforgettable... a by times humorous, by times tragic but always compelling picaresque tale.' The Irish Times

‘An absolute pleasure… assured, quietly gripping, surprising and educative, with a terrific central character, it pins down the precarious nature of life in 16th-century England.’ Daily Mail

‘A touching, vivid and sometimes deeply shocking depiction of the lives of ordinary people whose world was shattered by Henry VIII’s policy to dissolve England’s monasteries. A must for anyone interested in the Tudor period.' Elizabeth Fremantle

‘A powerful and very immediate picture of another age. It is full of violence and loss, and yet it is also a testament to survival, courage, pity, and the eternal beauty to be found in small things’ Anne Perry

"'The enchanting, unputdownable fictional biography of a girl thrown out to make her own way in the world with nothing and no one to help her.’ Hilary Spurling