The River Thief by Hannah Peck – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: historical fantasy, journey, memories, reputation.
Children’s book title: The River Thief by Hannah Peck.
Children’s author: Hannah Peck.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Piccadilly Press.
ISBN: 9781800787452.
Recommended for children aged: 9+ year-olds.
First published: Paperback October 2024.
This children’s book is ideal for: Looking at everyday life in the countryside of the 1600s and the differences between the landed gentry and those indebted to them. To read aloud and use for cross-curricular links in English, history and geography lessons.
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Our review:
Adderley Bede and her family live in and run a watermill by the River Lyde on the outskirts of the village of Nately Scures. The country has been ravaged by drought, however, and supplies are running low. Everyone is suffering, except, it seems, the local landowner, Lord Scures, his nephew, Lord Lewes, and their household.
When Adderley sees a creature, half human, half fish, in the shallow waters by her home, the discovery sets in motion a journey that will change everything she thought she knew about herself, her best friend, Lewes, and the history of her family. The creature, known as Ef, is searching for a special stone, stolen from her people many years earlier, which contains their Memories. She needs to recover it so their past is not forgotten. Unfortunately, the Speaking Stone is currently under lock and key in Lewes’ home, Scures Manor!
After Adderley successfully steals the stone, she and Ef embark on a journey that will take them along the River Lyde towards London and, eventually, the North Sea. Ef tells her that if she can help return the stone to the ocean, the drought will end and life will return to normal. Joined unexpectedly by Lewes, who is determined not to miss out on an adventure, and guided by Ef, the friends face dangers large and small as they move purposefully towards their goal.
Along the way, Ef finds glowing orbs which have spilled from the stone. These orbs, which become immersive visions to the person or creature who holds them, are messages from ‘the one who came before’, saved as memories. They tell Adderley a tale she is eager to be part of, but when one vision is abruptly curtailed, and another ignored altogether by Ef, Adderley knows she is hiding things from her. When she eventually uncovers the truth, will it irreparably shatter the calm, predictable lives of both the Fae and those living in Nately Scures, leaving them to face equally uncertain futures?
Our verdict:
The River Thief starts quite slowly, detailing Adderley’s life as a miller’s daughter who much prefers to spend her days by the water’s edge. Her passion is investigating the ever-dwindling life in the River Lyde and recording her findings in the notebook her father gave her, rather than doing the chores her mother assigns her.
After she finds Ef and begins the journey to the North Sea, the tension rises and remains ever-present until the very end. The historical aspects of this tale are so intertwined with the storyline that, even though it is full of fascinating and captivating information, it never feels like a learning exercise.
Ef is an interesting and vital part of the story; in fact, there would be no story without her. The memories from the Speaking Stone are a clever way of explaining things that the monosyllabic Ef is unable to. The differences in the lifestyles of Adderley and Lewes are quite stark at times and inconsequential at others, and their enduring friendship is brightly illustrated throughout.
The River Thief should suit confident readers from Year 5 onwards. There are plenty of discussion points in this thought-provoking book, which, once started, should encourage most children to finish it.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- The lives of families in the 1600s were hard, even without the hot weather and resulting drought. What added difficulties would the lack of water cause? Which of these problems would still occur today?
- Drought in the 21st century is explained scientifically and usually blamed on what? In Adderley’s time, however, fear and mistrust of the unknown were explained through folk tales and superstition. How would this have helped Ef convince her that she could return the countryside to its previously verdant condition by helping the Fae?
- Lewes lives a life of luxury but willingly joins Adderley and Ef on their journey. Who do you think finds the journey and the difficulties they encounter harder?
- When Adderley and Lewes leave Nately Scures, his uncle sends his men to bring him back, as well as alerting the townsfolk along their presumed route to keep an eye out for them. If he had gone missing now, what ways could his uncle have used to get him back?
- Cross-curricular English and Geography activities could include finding places mentioned in the story on a modern-day map and discussing why the spelling of some places has changed while others remain the same.
- Do you think Adderley’s disappointment and sense of betrayal when the history of the Speaking Stone is revealed are realistic? How differently would she and Lewes have felt if the memories had shown her what she expected to see?
- The tension grows from the moment the journey begins. How does the author make the story so exciting when everything in the 1600s was undertaken at a much slower pace than it is now?
Many thanks to Piccadilly Press for the review copy.
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