Why a Booktrail?
1700s: Kit Ravenglass grows up in a house of secrets.
1700s: Kit Ravenglass grows up in a house of secrets.
In 18th century Whitehaven, Kit Ravenglass grows up in a house of secrets. A shameful mystery surrounds his mother’s death, and his formidable, newly rich father is gambling everything on shipping ventures. Kit takes solace in his beloved sister Fliss, and her sumptuous silks, although he knows better than to reveal his delight in feminine fashion. As the family’s debts mount, Kit’s father turns to the transatlantic slave trade – a ruthless and bloody traffic to which more than a fortune might be lost.
Adventures will see Kit turn fugitive and begin living as ‘Stella,’ before being swept into the heady violence of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s rebellion. Driven by love, revenge and a desire to live truly and freely, Kit must find a way to survive these turbulent times – and to unravel the tragic secrets of the Ravenglass family.
From Whitehaven to Carlisle to Edinburgh
Whitehaven
Whitehaven lies 4 miles outside the Lake District National Park and 35 miles south-west of Carlisle. It was the site of a major chemical industry after World War II, but both that and the coal industry have disappeared, and today the major industry is the nearby Sellafield nuclear complex!
Carlisle
Very good for historical visits as Hadrian’s Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site runs through the town.
Edinburgh
A tolbooth or town house usually provided a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail. The tolbooth was one of three essential features in a Scottish burgh, along with the mercat cross and the kirk (church).
Destination/location: Whitehaven, Edinburgh, Carlisle Author/guide: Carolyn Kirby Departure Time: 1700s
Back to Results