Opal Plumstead

Description

Opal Plumstead might be plain, but she has always been fiercely intelligent. Yet her scholarship and dreams of university are snatched away when her father is sent to prison, and fourteen-year-old Opal must start work at the Fairy Glen sweet factory to support her family. Opal struggles to get along with the other workers, who think her snobby and stuck-up. But Opal idolises Mrs Roberts, the factory's beautiful, dignified owner, who introduces Opal to the legendary Mrs Pankhurst and her fellow Suffragettes. And when Opal meets Morgan - Mrs Roberts' handsome son, and the heir to Fairy Glen - she believes she has found her soulmate. But the First World War is about to begin, and will change Opal's life for ever. It is the brilliantly gripping new story from the bestselling, award-winning Jacqueline Wilson.

Promotion info

The brilliant new story from one of the nation's best-loved authors, starring her most outspoken, fiery and unforgettable heroine yet: Opal Plumstead, schoolgirl, sweet factory worker and Suffragette.

Reviews

- "A brilliant writer of wit and subtlety." --"The Times" - "She should be prescribed for all cases of reading reluctance." --"Independent on Sunday" - "Has a rare gift for writing lightly and amusingly about emotional issues." --"Bookseller" - This wonderful new wartime story will be published to coincide with the one hundred year anniversary of the start of the First World War. And like one of Roald Dahl's most timeless and beloved novels, much of the action takes place at a sweet factory!

Author description

Jacqueline Wilson (Author) JACQUELINE WILSON is an extremely well-known and hugely popular author who served as Children's Laureate from 2005-7. She has been awarded a number of prestigious awards, including the British Children's Book of the Year and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award (for The Illustrated Mum), the Smarties Prize and the Children's Book Award (for Double Act, for which she was also highly commended for the Carnegie Medal). In 2002 Jacqueline was given an OBE for services to literacy in schools and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. She was the author most borrowed from British libraries in the last decade. 'A brilliant writer of wit and subtlety' THE TIMES 'She should be prescribed for all cases of reading reluctance' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'Has a rare gift for writing lightly and amusingly about emotional issues' BOOKSELLER Nick Sharratt (Illustrator) Nick Sharratt has written and illustrated many books for children and won numerous awards for his picture books, including the Sheffield Children's Book Award and the 2001 Children's Book Award. He has also enjoyed great success illustrating Jacqueline Wilson books. Nick lives in Edinburgh.