*Many thanks to AM Watson, Red Acre Press and Netgalley for providing me with arc in exchange for my honest review.*
The story of a group of underprivileged boys living in the 18th century London and exploited as chimney sweepers moved me deeply …
The novel portrays a group of boys - chimney sweepers - who, by poverty and misfortunes, become actually slaves to a heartless Master Armory for several years, until they grow up too big to get inside a chimney. The poverty is behind the forced separation from family, family that is often impossible to regain even if they manage to free themselves from Armory. Egon Whitcombe’s mother sells him (!) when he is six, as , after her husband’s death at sea, she struggles to feed her son, her ill daughter and herself. Egon is intelligent, and soon understands that only following the rules will allow him to become free again.
Descriptions of daily hardships, injuries, hunger and lack of love are most gripping and upsetting. I was surprised to learn that the book is based on factual information. Sweeping the chimneys was necessary, as it is today, but then it was done by little boys who often got injured or killed while earning meagre money which was to be given to their so-called patrons in order to buy their freedom.
I was unaware that despite several legal steps to eradicate this exploitation taken over a period of two hundred years, it was only when central heating was introduced that children were no longer 'employed' as chimney sweepers!
AM Watson did fantastic thorough research and brought these long-forgotten children back to life.

It defies belief that young children could be forced to climb hot chimneys to sweep away the soot but that's exactly what they did not so very long ago! This book is beautifully written from the child's perspective and gives a clear sense of their feelings of abandonment and despair, but at the same time their hope of saving for a future freedom. A very moving book, one I thought about for a long time afterwards. Highly recommended. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, Red Acre Press for an ARC.

Thank you to Red Acre Press and NetGalley for a reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Over the past months I've read several books about life in Britian just before and during the Industrial Revolution, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. Although this is shelved as "historical fiction", it is clear that the author has carefully done their research and the story marries historical fact with a fictional narrative extremely well. The author creates the atmosphere of the times, and the book is beautifully written, albeit heart-breaking in terms of the conditions and treatment accorded the children forced to work as chimney sweeps. Not an easy book to read, but a very, very good one!

Every time I read about the "olden" days, it breaks me. I'm 55. By now I realize that I should be used to this crap. Yet, I'm always astounded by the monstrosity of humans. Mostly men. How in the hell can people do this? How can you breathe, knowing the harm and agony you've caused? I think this is why I prefer my horror and thrillers. They don't stack up against the true horror that is mankind.
Would I recommend this book?.Yes. But, it will break your heart.