The Great Plague

The diary of 13 year old Alice Paynton, a young girl in the time of Charles II. Her diary covers the months from June 1665 to the Great Fire of 1666, while the bubonic plague ravages London. In the MY STORY series.

ISBN: 9780439992282

The bubonic plague epidemic which struck England in 1665-6 was responsible for the deaths of 20 per cent of London's population. Its sheer scale was overwhelming and it was well-recorded, featuring in the works of Pepys and Defoe and described in terrible detail in the contemporary Bills of Mortality. This book paints a portrait of a society threatened by a killer disease which it was powerless to control. Often remembered because of its devastating impact on London, the plague struck other urban communities as well, carrying off half the population of Colchester and causing high mortality in cities such as Norwich and Cambridge. Nor were country villages spared, with Eyam in Derbyshire - where the inhabitants sealed themselves off to prevent the spread of the disease and a third of the inhabitants died - being the most famous. This work describes the disease and how people at the time thought it was caused. It gives details of the treatments available (such as they were) and evokes its impact on the country. We will probably never know the reasons for the disappearance of the bubonic plague from England after 1665. What is clear is the fascination the subject still holds.

ISBN: 9780750932639

"My Side of the Story" is a completely unique approach to historical fiction. Read the story of one youngster's life in turbulent times, then flip the book and find out first hand how another child reacts to the same events - with very different feelings and results! Rachel is a young girl living in London in 1665. The horrible new disease, the plague, is taking hold of the city and everyone is fearful for their lives. Rachel and her best friend Robert worry that they might be next in line. Then the unthinkable happens - Rachel and her family become infected...Like Rachel, Robert and his family are very frightened - people are dropping dead all around them. When Rachel's family catch the plague his misery increases. Then his father forbids him to see his best friend Rachel in case he falls victim to the plague too. But Robert won't let his friend die without help. Can their friendship survive during this dark, dark hour in England's history?

ISBN: 9780753413265