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Burning Bright

by Tracy Chevalier (Goodreads Author)

3.27 of 5 stars 3.27 · rating details · 6,418 ratings · 874 reviews

The author of Girl with a Pearl Earring returns with another engrossing, realistic historical novel, this one set in the final decade of the 18th century. Burning Bright follows Thomas Kellaway and his family as they migrate from rural Dorset to London, where Thomas has found work as a circus carpenter and builder. The novel foregrounds the experiences of Kellaway's son Je...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published March 20th 2007 by Dutton Adult (first published 1995)

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Lists with This Book

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier

Art & Artists in Fiction

27th out of 305 books — 483 voters

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket

Circus/Carnival Books

22nd out of 162 books — 422 voters

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Mar 18, 2008 Shan O rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have long enjoyed Tracy Chevalier's historical novels, particularly "Girl With a Pearl Earring," which imagines the daily home life and creative process of 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, as viewed from the vantage point of a teenage, Protestant maid. This more recent book,"Burning Bright," is set in 18th century Lambeth, a suburb of London, and imagines the public life and creative mind of painter and poet William Blake, seen through the eyes of two adolescents. While both books...more I have long enjoyed Tracy Chevalier's historical novels, particularly "Girl With a Pearl Earring," which imagines the daily home life and creative process of 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, as viewed from the vantage point of a teenage, Protestant maid. This more recent book,"Burning Bright," is set in 18th century Lambeth, a suburb of London, and imagines the public life and creative mind of painter and poet William Blake, seen through the eyes of two adolescents. While both books are entertaining and show good evidence of the author's grasp of the context in which each of these artists found himself, the former novel stands out above "Burning Bright" in terms of its character development and the richness of the setting.

While Chevalier's symbolism tends to be heavy-handed in both books, she does have a gift for evoking the sense of place and time in which her novels are located, and she offers fairly well-rounded (though not dynamic) characters whose relationships are complicated and unpredictable. She has a knack for revealing something about the now-famous artists in her novels by surrounding them with rich characters and interesting locations. Vermeer's growing family includes a roiling gaggle of children, a spoiled and demanding wife, and a business-woman for a mother-in-law; these people, not to mention Vermeer's men friends, help the reader to gain a sense of Vermeer by looking at those with whom he surrounds himself in his most private moments. We see Blake by coming to know his rather taciturn wife, Catherine; the two young people who follow him even to his mother's funeral across town; the neighbors who are suspicious of him for being so insular and odd; and Lambeth's pro-monarchy association, whose members try to bully Blake into supporting their cause; these characters help the author depict the political and social side of Blake's life, giving us less insight into his private world. In any case, Chevalier's Vermeer and Blake both benefit from the swirl of life going on all around them.

What makes "Burning Bright" less compelling a read than the novel about Vermeer is the distance she keeps from Blake. In her earlier novel, she brings her heroine, Griet, the Protestant maid, directly into the Vermeer household, where we can see him in action as an artist and as a husband and father; we do not get this view of Blake. Instead, Blake is spied on by an Jem and Maggie, who imagine him to be strange and curious and who come to know him during the course of the novel as strange, creative, and caring. While Chevalier attempts to narrate Blake's creative process, the reader never gets enough continuity from the various scenes that show him, in one moment, having conversations with his dead brother, Robert, and, in another moment, etching a copper plate for eventual use in the printing press. While we get a sense of what makes Vermeer tick, we never gain that knowledge about Blake. This could be less Chevalier's failing than it is the reality that Blake was truly enigmatic and odd, set apart in his ways from the mainstream of British art and writing even as he wrote and drew, etched and painted his way into history (and anthologies and museums!).

If I am to be bluntly honest, I must admit that it is, perhaps, my own knowledge of Blake, more than it is Chevalier's writing, that makes me view the novel as weak. Having written more than enough of my own about Blake and his work, I probably know too much to enjoy Chevalier's development of Blake's character and creative process. In my mind, he is not quite the same man that she depicts on the novel's pages. I suppose I'll have to write my own novel in order to understand the Blake I think I know!(less)

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Jun 07, 2008 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lucy

This is the third Chavalier book I have read the other two being The Virgin Blue and Girl with a Pearl Earring. As with the other two I found this an enjoyable and easy read. As well as having a story line Chavalier does a heck of a lot of research on the period and actual historic facts. Burning Bright is set in London in the late 1700's and follows a family's move there from the county of Dorset, from country to city is a dramatic change for all the family members and Chavalier manages to capt...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Malcolm rated it 3 of 5 stars

London at the time of the French revolution takes center stage in this beautifully written novel featuring location and themes over plot. When craftsman Thomas Kellaway moves his wife Anne and teen-aged children Jem and Masie from the Piddle Valley in Dorset to London in March of 1792, they are all but overwhelmed by the contrasting grandeur and ugliness of the big city. Thomas hopes he can better support the family making chairs for the circus and Anne hopes distance will heal her tortured mind...more London at the time of the French revolution takes center stage in this beautifully written novel featuring location and themes over plot. When craftsman Thomas Kellaway moves his wife Anne and teen-aged children Jem and Masie from the Piddle Valley in Dorset to London in March of 1792, they are all but overwhelmed by the contrasting grandeur and ugliness of the big city. Thomas hopes he can better support the family making chairs for the circus and Anne hopes distance will heal her tortured mind after the accidental death of their son Tommy.

Tracy Chevalier has drawn a deep and richly detailed portrait of London, especially the Borough of Lambeth where the noisy, dirty and boisterous lifestyle of the poor that differs so greatly from the quieter world of Dorset is accentuated when the circus comes to town.

Contrasts flow through the Kellaway's lives as surely as the Thames flows through London, and here the author draws upon William Blake's focus on "contraries," or pairs of opposites, for the novel's theme. London, in "Burning Bright" becomes an alchemist's athanor wherein the Kellaways will undergo their transformations beneath the piercing gaze of Blake, the adept who applies his "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience" within the novel as Holy Scripture.

Blake serves as a catalyst within the story line, yet he is a one-dimensional character who primarily speaks in philosophic riddles and quotes from his favorite poems. While Jem, Masie and their new, streetwise friend, Maggie, view the home of William and Kate Blake as calm sanctuary within a world where the trials of childhood are greatly magnified by the dangerous environment, the reader will come away having learned more about the Borough of Lambeth and than the famous poet and print maker.

Like her adult characters in "Burning Bright," Chevalier appears unwilling to step past Blake's fame, notoriety and fiery persona and confront the poet head on. Doing so would have brought closure to the novel for readers and characters alike. We have a well-crafted slice-of-life portrait of a rural family's brief sojourn into the big city. What we don't have is an overt look at what it finally meant to them.(less)

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Nov 28, 2008 Ian Mapp rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 16, 2013 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: england, historical-fiction

I have a love hate relationship w historical fiction.

I think i like mine w a firm twist of the speculative that was lacking here -

when I can't have that, I like it straight up - Morland Dynasty style - Harrod-eagles treatment of the same time period covered here was more to my taste.

This book reminded me a bit of the Dickens Faire - the research, the costumes, and scenery, even the music were well done but awareness of the whole affair being constructed as an entertainment precluded complete i...more

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Apr 13, 2008 Sammy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: c-the-okay

UGH! I'm thinking I may have rated this book to high, but then again it wasn't that bad. This rating/grade is pretty much reflective of it's mediocrity. It wasn't good, it wasn't bad. Beautiful language, fun descriptions, interesting situations. No plot, random and half-developed characters. Those were the main pros and cons for this book that are popping up right now.

This book wasn't long but for some reason it felt like it took forever to get through and I think that was the main reason I didn...more

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Sep 18, 2009 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up on the clearance table at one of my favorite places in the world- Barnes and Noble. It's so remarkable there. Quiet, cool, anonymous. Classical music playing softly overhead. You aren't expected to talk to anyone, just head to the books. You could actually hide there and no one could find you for hours, well minutes, but still... Heaven.

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Feb 17, 2009 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-reads

This is not a book that I would typically select for myself; however, it was the September book club selection for my local library’s book club, so I had to stretch my reading horizons. Having that perspective, the book started off a little slow, but (for me) picked up around page 55 when Ann Kellaway, mother of the main family in the book, becomes enamored with the circus.

This book is clearly a study in opposites, “‘What lies between two opposites is us.’
…‘The tension between two contraries is...more This is not a book that I would typically select for myself; however, it was the September book club selection for my local library’s book club, so I had to stretch my reading horizons. Having that perspective, the book started off a little slow, but (for me) picked up around page 55 when Ann Kellaway, mother of the main family in the book, becomes enamored with the circus.

This book is clearly a study in opposites, “‘What lies between two opposites is us.’
…‘The tension between two contraries is what makes us ourselves. We have not just one, but the other too, mixing and clashing and sparking inside us. Not just light, but dark. Not just peace, but at war. Not just innocent, but experienced.’ His eyes rested for a moment on the daisy Maisey still held. ‘It is a lesson we could all do well to learn, to see all the world in a flower…” (p. 177).

The book asks whether innocence and experience are truly opposites—some characters appear “innocent,” but handle situations with considerable aplomb, while other seemingly “experienced” characters are truly children at heart. The book is rife with situations that make you consider how you define experience and innocence (or other such arbitrary definitions of character, such as loyalty versus traitor).

The story-telling is effortless in this book; what seem to be happenstance or innocuous events turn out to be life-changing (again, a contrast of opposites). Small instances of a random fire and an off-hand comment change the life of the Kellaway’s. A change in the weather precipitates a meeting between two characters that results in an unplanned pregnancy (forever changing the girl’s life).

The other striking element of Chevalier’s writing is the characterization—even characters that seem secondary are intimately drawn and played out, taking on a significance of their own. One such “background” character, Rosie Wightman, is a girl from the country who, after an accident that ruins her family’s life, has to flee to London and try to make her own way in the world. This is written regarding her:

“While the Kellaways discussed what to do, Rosie stood docile, licking her fingers for stray ginger crumbs. It might be expected that she would take some interest in what happens to her, but she did not. Since arriving in London the year before, she had been raped, robbed, and beaten; she owned nothing but what she wore, and was constantly hungry; and though she didn’t know it yet, she had the clap. Rosie no longer expected to have any say over her life, and so she did not say anything,” (p. 170).
One would think that Rosie, a character that is a chance encounter when the three adolescents are skirting around in London, would not have an effect on the story. However, she resurfaces toward the end of the story, in a horrible state, and joins Maisey and Maggie on a journey to return Maisey to the place of her youth.

This book causes one to think about innocence and youth. In a time when many people say that children are growing up too quickly, one needs only look at their life and consider how they can make difference in the life of a developing child. You may not have children of your own, but a simple recommendation of this book to a parent may make all the difference in the world. If we’ve learned anything from reading Burning Bright it is that small gestures affect lives.(less)

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Jan 05, 2009 Joyce McCombs rated it 5 of 5 stars

As with Chevalier's "Girl with Pearl Earring".. .this book is a YOU ARE THERE experience. I couldn't put it down and devoured it in a few hours one recent afternoon. Set in 18th century London, with William Blake as a main character, the story revolves around the children who live next door to him and how they experience growing up in a turbulent political time, as well as understanding their roles in society and as young adolescents. Chevalier makes it seem perfectly possible that William Blake...more

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Feb 09, 2013 R. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this story because I really liked The Girl with a Peal Earing, also by the same author. I liked the writing but it took me a long time to get into the story and feel connected with the characters. Infact I put this book down for a bit and read a simpler book my son had just finished. I am glad I stuck with it because I enjoyed the 2nd half of the story more than the first. The characters become more developed and the story becomes much more interesting. The writing is what really makes th...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Tracy Chevalier gives us an image of William Blake as he might have been viewed by his neighbors and friends in London of 1792. Three young people discover Blake's London through their encounter of him as their neighbor and his poems, London, and his collection: Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. A brother and sister, Jem and Maizie Kelleway come with their parents to London. They are invited by the great Phillip Atley, circus manager, because their father is a furniture maker. They liv...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: strong-female-character

I got this book very cheap, so my expectations were lowered. However this book was worth full price. I really enjoyed the main movement and telling of the story.
The book is set in the late 1700s London (and English countryside a bit). What I particularly liked was the main character's relationship. they are two young kids, it is unclear (to me) how old they are but I'd guess about 13 by the end of the story. They behave like real kids. one of the problems I sometimes have with stories set in th...more

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Mar 12, 2011 Chip rated it 4 of 5 stars

It can't be easy to be Tracy Chevalier - everyone expects a home run when her next book comes up, and ten billion critics all judge whether or not her effort succeeded. Few of her critics are willing to research the setting, the subject, or the historical context before espousing their opinions. Not so for Ms. Chevalier: the time and care she took in her research shows throughout this book and is invisible to most of the readers. (What I really want to say is 'what a bunch of whiners!' Here is a...more It can't be easy to be Tracy Chevalier - everyone expects a home run when her next book comes up, and ten billion critics all judge whether or not her effort succeeded. Few of her critics are willing to research the setting, the subject, or the historical context before espousing their opinions. Not so for Ms. Chevalier: the time and care she took in her research shows throughout this book and is invisible to most of the readers. (What I really want to say is 'what a bunch of whiners!' Here is a great book, well written, interesting subject, great characters, excellent context, and you want to complain that it failed to meet the amorphous anticipations even you can't articulate? Puleese!)

With this book I have completed the Chevalier canon, and I can assure everyone that she is a gifted writer, a conscientious researcher, an imaginative storyteller, and has a wonderful sense of compassion. Any of her books will have you thinking about their characters for a long time after you put the book away. Considering her body of work as a whole there is an interesting consistency of characters from book to book - you could almost lift them from one timeline and place them in another, change the name, and have the same person. There is a graduate student thesis here, in connecting the characters from work to work and what that would indicate about the creative process...

While the inclusion of Wm Blake as the historical figure anchors Burning Bright, the main plot line of the book is the growing relationship between Jem and Maggie. By the time the book ended I wanted to know how their story ended, and while we have an idea where they're headed we don't really know (a tribute to their unpredictable natures, perhaps). It is true that Blake figures less directly in this book, which only reflects what we know, or more accurately don't know, about the man. We can only know him at a distance. What we can do, and what Chevalier did, was to illuminate the moment in which he lived and worked. Standing in Blake's shoes, his poetry suddenly reads differently and I am enriched in my understanding. Who could ask for more? Thank you Ms. Chevalier. Well done.
(less)

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Jan 02, 2011 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

You know how sometimes you go to a museum and you see a painting by a not-so-famous artist, and you think, "Oh that's pretty," and then you see one by a master, and you're not sure if it's pretty but you know it's glorious? Well, Burning Bright is sitting next to Daniel Defoe on my bookshelf, and it's a similar situation. The cover is pretty, Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience are accessible but thought provoking, the characters are in general decent and developed, and the writing seems b...more

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Jul 05, 2010 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is fascinating to me how writers of historical fiction take a slice of factual data and build recognizable life into it. This is the first of Tracy Chevalier's novels I have read (tried 'Girl With A Pearl Earring' some time back, but could not get into that timeframe/cultural reference). Now that I've finished 'Burning Bright', I am suitably impressed with her talent for bringing history to life.

'Burning Bright' takes place in London, 1792-93. Central characters are the adolescent children of...more

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Jan 20, 2010 Brooke rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story, like all of her books, hooked me in quickly and the plot thickened just as fast, but I think it fell short of my expectations. I was excited that William Blake would be guest-starring in this novel, but I was disappointed at the portrayal of him and that there was not more focus on his life. The relationship between Jem and Maggie was believable, but I was surprised that things did not become more romantic! I did, however, love the author's portrayal of London in the late eighteenth-...more

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Jun 13, 2009 Irisheyz77 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Irisheyz77 by: Book Club Read

http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com/...

I just recently finished reading Burning Bright, the latest novel by Tracy Chevalier. This is her mostly recent novel and to be honest the only reason that I read it is because it was chosen for my next book club. I have read other books by Chevalier in the past and have have mixed reactions on them. So, I wasn't super enthused to read this book...and while it didn't suck. I wasn't in love with it either.

This novel primarily takes place in London, England...more http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com/...

I just recently finished reading Burning Bright, the latest novel by Tracy Chevalier. This is her mostly recent novel and to be honest the only reason that I read it is because it was chosen for my next book club. I have read other books by Chevalier in the past and have have mixed reactions on them. So, I wasn't super enthused to read this book...and while it didn't suck. I wasn't in love with it either.

This novel primarily takes place in London, England in the year 1792, focusing around 3 teenagers: Jem, Maggie and Jem's sister Maisie. Jem & Maisie have recently moved from to quiet life in the country to the bustling city of London with their parents and are learning how to adjust. One their first day in the city they meet Maggie, a street wise girl who likes to be the one who knows everything and tend to delight in the mistakes that Jem and his sister make while they are learning to adapt to city life. Thrown into this group in none other than Willim Blake. Who has got to be one of the most aloof, vaguely written characters that I have ever met in a book.

In some ways Mr Blake is always there for the teenagers idolize him and his beliefs. Yet, even when he is in the presence of the teens he seems to be off somewhere else. He speaks in metaphors and doesn't seem to be bothered by anything. Even when there is a mob outside his door he just stands there limply and only reacts after Maisie starts to recite one of his poems.....or songs as they are referred to in the book. Even then his reaction isn't quite what the reader expects. There are times in which I think that Blake's character is more of an after thought. Someone famous that the author tosses into the mix in an attempt at trying to accomplish......something. What exactly I am not sure. The characters of Jem, Maggie and Maisie are all pretty underdeveloped as well. There seems to be no real purpose to any of them and I found it hard to care what happened to them.

I initially struggled to get through this book. Its not a hard read I just found it to be boring and lacking in plot. I was often more drawn to the various descriptions more then what was going on with the main characters. Where the major events of their lives seem to be swept aside and barely discussed while pages and pages are spent on them watching a circus procession going by. I finally had to give myself a shake and force myself to read the novel any time I had a chance because I just wanted it done.

http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com/...(less)

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Jul 13, 2010 Leigh-ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not sure what to say about this book... I can hardly begin to think about how to summarize it. If I was in a classroom I could say that it's about "opposites" and the teacher would applaud me and we'd all be assigned an essay on the topic of, "The Role of Opposites in 'Burning Bright'".

I like historical fiction, but this is the second book I've read by Chevalier and I haven't been too thrilled by either of them. A book called "Burning Bright" should have some spark to it, yet both the plot...more

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Oct 31, 2009 hadashi rated it 2 of 5 stars

you know how you need a book to read because you’re going on a trip so you just Find One? i pulled this off the shelf at the library on the basis of having read Girl w/a Pearl Earring many years ago. this novel centers on a man, not a work of art; William Blake, the English poet, printer, and engraver. i have always liked his crazy mystic poetry, and the lines “tyger, tyger burning bright…doth frame thy fearful symmetry” have stuck in my head since reading it in that 12th grade purple BritLit te...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Rebekah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

What I like from Chevalier stories (this is my third):
She features now famous (not necessarily to myself), then struggling artists a little in the background to the totally ordinary people during a period in history known for something else, in this case, the French Revolution. It is, or is a little like historical fiction of which I am a fan. I enjoy reading about the creative personalities the main characters discover. I do like getting a little taste of the past.

But I do not enjoy reading co...more

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May 29, 2008 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, based-on-a-true-story, art-artists

Burning Bright is a story about the middle ground between opposites: city/country, boy/girl, experienced/innocent. Unlike Chevalier other works this novel did not as clearly develop the primary historical character (William Blake) or the link between the action of the story the creation of his work (Songs of Experience, Songs of Innocence). The story was unfocused. There were too many characters and too many subplots. Chevalier's other works are far superior.

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Apr 20, 2013 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Tracy Chevalier. I can't even imagine the time and effort it takes to research the area's and people of history that she writes about. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and Chevaliers books always take us right inside another time and place, feeling the emotions, hearing the sounds and smelling the air.

Burning Bright is set in the early 1790's of London, where Thomas Kellaway and has recently moved his family to try to outrun the memories of the recent loss of one of their sons. Th...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I enjoyed reading this book, as I have enjoyed all of this author’s books that I have read. It is an added plus that poet William Blake is a major character in this book, as I love his poetry (even if I have trouble at times understanding it).

The book is set almost entirely in 1792 London. A son of the Kellaway family in rural Dorsetshire died by falling out of a pear tree, and in attempt to ease his wife’s grief at the loss, chairmaker Thomas Kellaway has removed his wife, his teenage daughter,...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Beccalarge rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the book, but in the end I was left feeling disappointed. I am not sure if this was because the book was in fact disappointing, or if I was just expecting something great from Tracy Chevalier, author of "Girl with the Pearl Earring". I loved "Girl with a Pearl Earring", loved that is was a fictional story based upon the life of a real artist, the painter, Vermeer, and just how he might have come to paint his most famous painting.... When I found out that "Burning Bright" was another book...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 13, 2013 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't been disappointed in Tracy Chevalier's other books, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Falling Angels, The lady and the Unicorn, The Virgin Blue, so I was hoping for the same with Burning Bright. I thoroughly enjoyed it! She had me hooked from the start and I finished the book quite quickly. It seems like it's been a long time since I read such a great book! It feels so refreshing to do so.

Chevalier really did her research in preparing for this story. She not only had to research poet, artist,...more

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Apr 15, 2009 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having previously enjoyed Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier I found this book very disappointing.

The blurb enticed me to read it with the promise of the story of Jem and Maggie whose "friendship takes a dramatic turn when they become entangled in the life of their neighbour, the printer, poet and radical, William Blake." Unfortunately this promising premise fails to eventuate, with William Blake playing a very peripheral role in the book and his character being portrayed in a very one...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Sasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Tracy Chevalier wrote "Girl with the pearl earring" in white hot inspiration and that was her finest moment. That was really a good book,well writen and rightly became best-seller. Unfortunately nothing she came up afterwards matches that brilliance and who knows,maybe is too much to expect people to write masterpieces one after another - one is perhaps enough for a lifetime."Lady and Unicorn" was so-so and later I lost her somehow,thinking she perhaps repeats herself and was probably right.
"Bur...more

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Oct 12, 2011 V.r. Christensen rated it 2 of 5 stars

I should probably preface this by saying I'm not a fan of Tracy Chevalier. She seems determined to follow a trend (over I dare to hope) of including historical figures in her narrative in order to classify it as true Historical Fiction. It's an unnecessary contrivance. I read this hoping to learn something about Blake. He's in it. It's not about him. In fact I'm not sure what it was about. There seemed to be no resolution to any of the conflicts set forth. Perhaps I'm just having trouble remembe...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Yvonne Boag rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Set in London in the 1790's, Burning Bright takes place against three significant subjects; the French revolution, Astley's circus and William Blake. The Kellaways move to London from the country after the death of their middle son. Jem is the youngest and he quickly befriends the street wise Maggie who obviously has many secrets. Their friendship is cemented by their obsession with the Blake family and they use every opportunity they can to engage William Blake. Maisie, the daughter becomes ent...more

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About Tracy Chevalier

Born:
19 October 1962 in Washington, DC. Youngest of 3 children. Father was a photographer for The Washington Post.

Childhood:
Nerdy. Spent a lot of time lying on my bed reading. Favorite authors back then: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madeleine L’Engle, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, Joan Aiken, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander. Book I would have taken to a desert island: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

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