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The Seventeenth Century
The Fens
This book is about 10,000 words long. It is for children of 7-11.
The story is set in the Fens in 1631 -- at the time when the Earl of Bedford has plans to drain the Fens. The Earl has engaged the Dutch engineer Sir Cornelius Vermuyden to supervise the work.
But the work of Sir Cornelius is bitterly opposed by the people who live in the fens. They may suffer from fever and rheumatism but they love their fenland. And if the fens are drained they will lose their livelihood. They will have no food - no fish, no eels, no wildfoul, no eggs. They will have no reeds for thatching and no peat. Peat is very important. As well as using it for their fires they use dried peat squares to build their houses.
This is the historical background to The Flight of the Mallard.
Thirteen year old Peter lives with his parents and sister Meg in an island in the fens. Peter knows that his father is a "fen tiger" -- a fenman determined to stop the draining. But for a long time Peter's father does not talk to him about this until one day when he has a plan and wants Peter to help.
He has seen Sir Cornelius with one of his engineers. They both had their sons with them. Sir Cornelius' son was a little boy of about six but the engineer's son was about the same age as Peter. Peter's father wants Peter to make friends with the boy and find out Vermuyden's plans. In other words Peter is to become a spy and help his father to murder Vermuyden.
But things do not go according to plan. Peter and Jan do actually become friends and when Peter is taken prisoner Jan tries to help him.
Peter's sister, Meg, also plays her part. She has overheard the plot and has kept an eye on her brother and when he needs her she is there.
This little book really held my interest. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the fens and the lives of the fen dwellers. The story, too, moves at a fast pace.
A gripping story set against the detailed background of a little known aspect of English history.