Review: The Long Walk Home by Valerie Wood
Scared, frustrated and hungry, when young Mikey Quinn stole two rabbits from a local butcher in Hull in order to feed his starving siblings, little did he envisage that he would end up imprisoned for this act of desperation. Separated from the mother he adores and the brothers and sisters who look up to him, Mikey finds himself having to atone for his crime. Life in prison is anything but easy for the young lad who grew up sheltered and protected from the harsh realities of life by his caring mother. But in prison Mikey finds himself making the transition from childhood to adulthood. Yet, when he leaves the stifling confines of jail, Mikey is shocked when he realizes that, in his absence, a lot of things have changed.
His mother had died and his siblings had all been taken into the work house to be cared for by the authorities. With no home and no family, Mikey decides that there is nothing keeping him in Hull, so he makes the hard decision of leaving the only home he is ever known for a new life in London. Mikey hopes to seek his fortune in the capital and to make his dead mother proud. Reluctantly accompanied by his friend, Bridget, who is running away from an abusive father, Mikey leaves everything behind. But Mikey soon realizes that if he wants to make it to London, he’d better be careful. There are a lot of unsavory characters about, ready and willing to take advantage of him and Bridget and he must make sure not to fall prey to villains who want to use him for their own ends…
Eleanor Kendall had led a charmed life in the North of England. Her father’s position as a solicitor enables her to enjoy a comfortable existence, but money, wealth and status are no substitutes for happiness. Her father’s irascible temper has seen off her mother and her brother and when her father is accused of a crime, Ellie finds herself frightened and alone. Realizing that she cannot possibly remain living at home, she decides to look for her brother in London. However, life on the streets is anything but safe for an impressionable and vulnerable young woman. But luckily for her, she encounters Mikey at the right time and soon, for the first time in years, she begins to feel secure, cared for and loved.
The lure of the north is impossible to ignore and Ellie and Mikey soon begin contemplating their journey back home. Although they’ve fallen passionately in love with one another and survived against insurmountable odds, Mikey cannot help but wonder whether there’s a future for him, a poor criminal from the wrong side of the tracks and a solicitor’s daughter? Is their love doomed? Or will they realize that real love knows no social barriers?
Valerie Wood is simply superb! She writes with such assurance, élan and confidence that readers will be gripped from the very first page. Deftly blending pathos, emotion, drama, romance and humour, The Long Walk Home is an exceptional Victorian saga from this talented storyteller whose novels rival Catherine Cookson’s finest works.
Heartbreaking, engrossing and captivating from start to finish, The Long Walk Home is a spellbinding story you will not easily forget!
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Genre: historical ISBN: 978-0552156790 Page Count: 512 Pages Price: $ £6.99 Reviewer: Julie Bonello |
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Sweet Star Rating: 4 Stars Author's Website: www.valeriewood.co.uk |
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