"Meggy and the carter had arrived in London earlier that day while the summer evening was yet light. Even so, the streets were gloomy, with tall houses looming on either side, rank with the smell of fish and the sewage in the gutter, slippery with horse droppings, clamorous with church bells and the clatter of cart wheels rumbling on cobbles. London was a gallimaufry of people and carts, horses and coaches, dogs and pigs, and such noise that made Meggy's head, accustomed to the gentle stillness of a country village, ache."
We come to the London streets with Meggy, when she is dropped unceremoniously on her father's doorstep and left to fend for herself...something she has never had to do. Meggy was born with a hip displasia that keeps her from walking upright, and without aid. Her gran has always cared for her in the small village where they lived. When her father called for her, her mother was only too happy to see her off. Her arrival is a surprise to her father, who was expecting a boy and not a crippled girl. He sent for the child expecting help as he works to find the magic elixir of youth through the study of alchemy. Meggy has much to learn, and she does so quickly!
She meets Roger on her first evening. Upon his asking her about the walking sticks that she uses, she angrily replies: "Beware the ugglesome crookleg, the foul-featured cripple, the fearful, misshapen creature," and growls at him to boot. It is not the most auspicious introduction and does foreshadow what their future holds...constant quarreling, insulting each other and finally, friendship. As Meggy struggles to find her way around the neighborhood, and beyond, she meets a number of people who will become part of the life that she makes for herself. She does so with persistence, pride and patience.
I love historical fiction and have always eagerly awaited new books by Karen Cushman. She never disappoints. She immerses herself in the times she is depicting, creating a setting that reeks of the streets of Victorian England, memorable and admirable characters who give of themselves to help others, and a story that moves quickly from start to finish. You live in those streets as you read of the struggles of the people who inhabit them, and you rejoice in the smalll triumphs that these fine people experience. It's a keeper!
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