As soon as you read the opening pages of this grim-setting fantasy, you know you'll need a box of tissues nearby. It's a tough one, tackling a time period in London's history when small children were used to sweep clean chimneys by literally crawling into them, even though mechanical devices had been invented to do the work without endangering them decades before. It was lung-destroying work, potentially explosive, and burns and falls were extremely common.
A 12-year-old girl, Nan Sparrow, fiercely guards her memories of her Sweep, the man who took care of her and taught her how to sweep chimneys safely. He takes on almost mythical proportions among the city's chimney sweeps, known for being kind and fair. She has a small ember, a nub of a burned log or perhaps piece of coal, that she keeps close to her and it warms her when she's coldest and the days are long and dark.
Then she's tasked with cleaning the chimney of a boarding school for girls, and one of her rivals decides it would be funny to light the fire before she's finished. There's an explosion, she's blown out of the chimney into the attic and the char comes alive, protecting her from being horribly burned.
She escapes and the char grows into a full-bodied golem, which she names Charlie and tries to keep hidden in an abandoned house, but she gives herself away. Her former owner, a ruthless chimney sweep whose handsome face gets him lots of business, threatens her and Charlie saves her -- but also mars the man's face and makes a mortal enemy for Nan.
A teacher at the school educates Nan about golems. They're made for a purpose, and once they've fulfilled that purpose, the story never ends well for them. But by now, Nan can't think of losing her Charlie and will do just about anything to try and save him.
I was particularly delighted by the author's acknowledgement in the back that a Tucson Public Library card provided several key reads over the summer of the author's 3rd and 4th grades! I love it when authors share connections like that.
Read, enjoy, and keep the tissues handy.
