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The Wool-Pack
Two children living in the Cotswolds in the late 15th century discover a wool smuggling operation which may ruin their merchant father if it is not stopped.
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First published October 25, 1951
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 10, 2022
I can certainly understand why Cynthia Harnett won the prestigious Carnegie Medal in 1951 for her spectacularly delightful middle grade historical fiction novel The Wool-Pack (or Nicholas and the Wool-Pack as well as The Merchant's Mark as the alternative English language titles seem to be called).
For not only does The Wool-Pack present and feature a fun, engaging and also authentically realistic tale of mystery, discovery and saving one's livelihood and family reputation from villainy and treachery (and namely regarding the lucrative but also intensely cut-throat early 15th century wool trade), Cynthia Harnett equally has three children as her main movers and shakers so to speak, as the primary mystery solvers of The Wool-Pack, and with Harnett very much appreciatively making one these three main protagonists a girl.
And thankfully not just some housewifely type either, as no indeed, the character of Cecily as she is depicted and presented in The Wool-Pack is as much an active participant with regard to problem and mystery solving in The Wool-Pack as Richard and Hal are portrayed as being, and with Cynthia Harnett as a final and vociferous accolade and lauding also wonderfully and with a truly superb sense of and for historical time and geographical place absolutely and realistically bringing the late 15th century Cotswolds totally and utterly to life (and with the thematics of The Wool-Pack also demonstrating that in the 15th century, a powerful and influential merchant class is emerging in England, and yes, I have definitely appreciated and enjoyed The Wool-Pack not featuring as primary characters mainly the nobility and knights in shining armour, but rather merchants, their families and their retainers).
Therefore (and in my humble opinion), The Wool-Pack is a solidly researched, wonderfully realistic (and of course naturally so also massively enjoyable and readable) sojourn into the world of historical fiction set in England, or rather set in late 15th century England. And albeit that Cynthia Harnett's villains for The Wool-Pack are from my perspective, are from my point of view perhaps both rather too obvious and as such of course also quite easy to figure out (as well as at times being rather ethnically stereotypical, and which I indeed do as an adult reader find a trifle off-putting and sad), well, that the potential villains are for the most pretty easy to recognise as being thus and are equally showing just a bit of a tendency towards stereotyping, there is in my humble opinion still more enough of a textual balance (and nothing too gratuitous) encountered and being offered in The Wool-Pack, so that I will gladly be ranking Cynthia Harnett's presented story with rock-solid four stars and to also highly recommend The Wool Pack (and yes indeed, even though the book does unfortunately no longer appear to be in current print, which in my humble opinion is actually rather a shame).
For not only does The Wool-Pack present and feature a fun, engaging and also authentically realistic tale of mystery, discovery and saving one's livelihood and family reputation from villainy and treachery (and namely regarding the lucrative but also intensely cut-throat early 15th century wool trade), Cynthia Harnett equally has three children as her main movers and shakers so to speak, as the primary mystery solvers of The Wool-Pack, and with Harnett very much appreciatively making one these three main protagonists a girl.
And thankfully not just some housewifely type either, as no indeed, the character of Cecily as she is depicted and presented in The Wool-Pack is as much an active participant with regard to problem and mystery solving in The Wool-Pack as Richard and Hal are portrayed as being, and with Cynthia Harnett as a final and vociferous accolade and lauding also wonderfully and with a truly superb sense of and for historical time and geographical place absolutely and realistically bringing the late 15th century Cotswolds totally and utterly to life (and with the thematics of The Wool-Pack also demonstrating that in the 15th century, a powerful and influential merchant class is emerging in England, and yes, I have definitely appreciated and enjoyed The Wool-Pack not featuring as primary characters mainly the nobility and knights in shining armour, but rather merchants, their families and their retainers).
Therefore (and in my humble opinion), The Wool-Pack is a solidly researched, wonderfully realistic (and of course naturally so also massively enjoyable and readable) sojourn into the world of historical fiction set in England, or rather set in late 15th century England. And albeit that Cynthia Harnett's villains for The Wool-Pack are from my perspective, are from my point of view perhaps both rather too obvious and as such of course also quite easy to figure out (as well as at times being rather ethnically stereotypical, and which I indeed do as an adult reader find a trifle off-putting and sad), well, that the potential villains are for the most pretty easy to recognise as being thus and are equally showing just a bit of a tendency towards stereotyping, there is in my humble opinion still more enough of a textual balance (and nothing too gratuitous) encountered and being offered in The Wool-Pack, so that I will gladly be ranking Cynthia Harnett's presented story with rock-solid four stars and to also highly recommend The Wool Pack (and yes indeed, even though the book does unfortunately no longer appear to be in current print, which in my humble opinion is actually rather a shame).
September 20, 2017
Excellent combination of historical details and an engaging plot (based in fact). The author's many drawings are a great addition that help the reader to understand the world and time.
October 1, 2023
I liked it a 3, but I've got to give it 4 for re-readability and skill. It's like a text book collided with a middle grade historical fiction novel for the first half, and the plot doesn't really pick up until the final third.
Characters are very hit and miss - loved Cecily, liked the comic foil of Nicholas's vain mother, liked Uncle John, but I wish Hal and Dickon had been further developed. Especially Hal - we started to see more of him, and the changing relationship between Nicholas and Hal, but then Hal is rather reduced to an NPC-like existence, helping move the plot on the periphery. I wanted either more conflict or more bittersweetness about their growing apart. Ah well.
The Postscript, explaining how the real-world locations and buildings can be found and visited today is just so sweet (Burford, Winchester and Southhampton, as well as the Isle of Wight). Looking forward to reading her "The Load of the Unicorn" some day (but it's October, so time for the spookier stuff now!)
Characters are very hit and miss - loved Cecily, liked the comic foil of Nicholas's vain mother, liked Uncle John, but I wish Hal and Dickon had been further developed. Especially Hal - we started to see more of him, and the changing relationship between Nicholas and Hal, but then Hal is rather reduced to an NPC-like existence, helping move the plot on the periphery. I wanted either more conflict or more bittersweetness about their growing apart. Ah well.
The Postscript, explaining how the real-world locations and buildings can be found and visited today is just so sweet (Burford, Winchester and Southhampton, as well as the Isle of Wight). Looking forward to reading her "The Load of the Unicorn" some day (but it's October, so time for the spookier stuff now!)
June 6, 2021
Nicholas is the son of a wool trader in the late 1400s in England. He is apprenticed to his father, and he notices that something is not right with visitors from Italy who sell his father's wool overseas. It is up to Nicholas, with the help of his best friend and the girl he is to marry, to figure out what is wrong and to set things right for Nicholas's father and his wool trade.
I would have loved reading this book as a kid, set as it was in times so distant from my own. It was the details the author shares with the reader that especially fascinated me---pots were set outside after eating so the dogs could lick the pots clean...Nicholas was considered a well-mannered boy because he didn't throw his bones on the floor when he ate...a bowl was used to trim the hair of Nicholas' best friend.
I thought the author did a fabulous job of explaining the habits and skills of the day that are unfamiliar to modern readers by having an unknowledgeable character ask questions and allowing the knowledgeable character to explain, and by including lots of pictures of things we might not recognize.
I would have loved reading this book as a kid, set as it was in times so distant from my own. It was the details the author shares with the reader that especially fascinated me---pots were set outside after eating so the dogs could lick the pots clean...Nicholas was considered a well-mannered boy because he didn't throw his bones on the floor when he ate...a bowl was used to trim the hair of Nicholas' best friend.
I thought the author did a fabulous job of explaining the habits and skills of the day that are unfamiliar to modern readers by having an unknowledgeable character ask questions and allowing the knowledgeable character to explain, and by including lots of pictures of things we might not recognize.
September 19, 2020
Considering how important the wool trade was to the development of early-modern Britain, it is surprising how few novels deal with the business of wool. Those written for young readers are even scarcer. The Wool-Pack helps fill the gap.
This is historical fiction rather than history, written when children's literature was intended to inform as well as entertain. There are lessons on every page about how the wool trade functioned. To keep readers turning the pages, there is a bit of mystery, a rather tiny bit.
Nicholas, the son of a wool merchant, suspects that traders will attempt to swindle his father. He sets out to verify his suspicions and prevent the theft if necessary. One of his companions is the son of a shepherd, introducing a different social class into the novel's ambitions. Adding yet another thread, Nicholas is betrothed at age 12 to the equally young daughter of another wool merchant, historically accurate but perhaps jarring to the under-12 readers of today.
Overall The Wool-Pack holds up quite well 60+ years after publication. Some of the captioned illustrations may feel clunky to readers who grew up with Dorling Kindersley. The novel is set in Britain and written for a British child, although that should not deter a resourceful reader. There are maps to help with locations. Because of the subject matter, adults can enjoy this chapter book and will find it a very quick read. As a book primarily for children, it will leave the adult reader wanting to learn a good bit more.
This is historical fiction rather than history, written when children's literature was intended to inform as well as entertain. There are lessons on every page about how the wool trade functioned. To keep readers turning the pages, there is a bit of mystery, a rather tiny bit.
Nicholas, the son of a wool merchant, suspects that traders will attempt to swindle his father. He sets out to verify his suspicions and prevent the theft if necessary. One of his companions is the son of a shepherd, introducing a different social class into the novel's ambitions. Adding yet another thread, Nicholas is betrothed at age 12 to the equally young daughter of another wool merchant, historically accurate but perhaps jarring to the under-12 readers of today.
Overall The Wool-Pack holds up quite well 60+ years after publication. Some of the captioned illustrations may feel clunky to readers who grew up with Dorling Kindersley. The novel is set in Britain and written for a British child, although that should not deter a resourceful reader. There are maps to help with locations. Because of the subject matter, adults can enjoy this chapter book and will find it a very quick read. As a book primarily for children, it will leave the adult reader wanting to learn a good bit more.
September 10, 2022
Because Michael... in Open Library as Nicholas and the Wool Pack.
Compares favorably to the better historical fiction that has won Newbery recognition. I would have liked it as a child, when I was enjoying Adam of the Road. It does a wonderful job of teaching us so much about the history and culture of the era when 'Columbus' was 'discovering' 'America' and about the Medici family of bankers, etc.
I loved how Nicholas' mother was a fashionable, title-proud woman, who carried a tiny dog around everywhere, even smuggled into church, because it was what the noblewomen were doing. There were lots of details like that, making this an immersive story that felt very real, not musty & dusty at all.
(Googling Medici tells me that Harnett should have written a sequel or companion to this, as just a couple of years later the family had a downfall.)
Compares favorably to the better historical fiction that has won Newbery recognition. I would have liked it as a child, when I was enjoying Adam of the Road. It does a wonderful job of teaching us so much about the history and culture of the era when 'Columbus' was 'discovering' 'America' and about the Medici family of bankers, etc.
I loved how Nicholas' mother was a fashionable, title-proud woman, who carried a tiny dog around everywhere, even smuggled into church, because it was what the noblewomen were doing. There were lots of details like that, making this an immersive story that felt very real, not musty & dusty at all.
(Googling Medici tells me that Harnett should have written a sequel or companion to this, as just a couple of years later the family had a downfall.)
January 28, 2011
A pleasant, gentle read. Well-written, and very well-researched, providing lots of insight into the the culture and way of life in late-15th-century England. The illustrations are charming, too. I found this quite a slow read, however, and had to make myself finish it.
April 12, 2008
This children's book is set in 1493 against the background of the Cotswolds wool trade. Excellent adventure book which includes much background detail on life at the time.
June 24, 2020
Great for its historical accuracy and details about life in the past. Plot not so gripping.
May 19, 2020
This book was loaned to me by a friend who said it was her favourite children's book ever, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although the style was rather old-fashioned, it really made me want to know what happened next, as we followed the adventures of young Nicholas Fetterlock to his gradual coming of age.
June 14, 2021
Winner of the Carnegie Medal in 1951.
Nicholas Fetterlock is the son of a Cotswold wool merchant in 1493. During the negotiations for his betrothal, Nicholas and his bride-to-be try to find out who is stealing his father's wool and substituting rubbish; this has led to trouble with the Staple, the quasi-legal trade body that governs wool exports. Is it the mysterious bankers from Lombardy, led by the ultra-suave Messer Antonio Bari?
I loved this book when I first read it at the age of nine, I have read it many times since. The final sentence always brings a lump to my throat. It has got an exciting mystery at the heart of it and all the historical colour that you could want. The characters are well-drawn and the pace is perfect (the first real clue is given exactly half way through). A children's classic.
Nicholas Fetterlock is the son of a Cotswold wool merchant in 1493. During the negotiations for his betrothal, Nicholas and his bride-to-be try to find out who is stealing his father's wool and substituting rubbish; this has led to trouble with the Staple, the quasi-legal trade body that governs wool exports. Is it the mysterious bankers from Lombardy, led by the ultra-suave Messer Antonio Bari?
I loved this book when I first read it at the age of nine, I have read it many times since. The final sentence always brings a lump to my throat. It has got an exciting mystery at the heart of it and all the historical colour that you could want. The characters are well-drawn and the pace is perfect (the first real clue is given exactly half way through). A children's classic.
June 11, 2019
This is the first time I’ve read this book in years. Coming to it as an adult, with a totally different perspective was v interesting. Well written & came across as authentic. I think I’ve understood more of the plot as an adult than I did as a child - if only for the fact I’ve more idea what usury is now! This a child’s view of the adults world & a certain amount of the drama takes place ‘off-stage’ so to speak. The plot is excellent - I think it’s time I read more of Cynthia Harnett’s books!
December 31, 2022
England, 1493. In the Cotswolds, heart of England’s wool trade, Nicholas Fetterlock’s life is disrupted one summer evening by the arrival of two Lombards from distant Italy, bringing talk of new worlds and the sophistication of the Italian Renaissance, and by the news of his own betrothal to Cecily, daughter of a rich clothier. At first the betrothal to a stranger seems Nicholas’ only problem, but gradually he realises that there is a threat to his father’s wool business that could have serious consequences…
Apart from the awful clanger in the opening chapter of having Nicholas refer to ‘the Wars of the Roses’, a term only used centuries later, this is a thoughtful and attractive evocation of life in rural England in the late Middle Ages, throwing in details such as compulsory archery practice and the fact that chairs were for the privileged few while most sat on stools and benches, and accompanied by charming illustrations, often based on actual surviving objects. The story takes a long time to get moving and the plot is gentle rather than dramatic, but the worldbuilding draws the reader in, and I can take any amount of evocation of the golden stone of the Cotswolds in the days when they were at the centre of England’s trade.
Very few historical books for children concentrate on trade and industry, preferring gentlefolk and professional classes or the urban poor, but with the focus on a business that generates wealth also come questions for this modern reader about the workings of pre-modern industry and proto-capitalism which Harnett seems content to leave alone. Interesting too to see her depiction of women as key players in the world of work and yet mostly only interested in domestic matters, with the exception being Cecily, able to climb trees and shoot arrows like a boy (though not entirely undomesticated, the implication being that she will some day settle down into being a good wife). But also, writing at a time when England felt impoverished and its history had been damaged by bombs, Hartnett’s book recuperates that history, bringing to life the medieval streetscapes lost to postwar children as well as showing the good and the bad of an age with minimal state intervention in children’s lives. No wonder this book won the Carnegie medal when it was first published. But still an enjoyable read today: my first Harnett and I look forward to reading more.
Apart from the awful clanger in the opening chapter of having Nicholas refer to ‘the Wars of the Roses’, a term only used centuries later, this is a thoughtful and attractive evocation of life in rural England in the late Middle Ages, throwing in details such as compulsory archery practice and the fact that chairs were for the privileged few while most sat on stools and benches, and accompanied by charming illustrations, often based on actual surviving objects. The story takes a long time to get moving and the plot is gentle rather than dramatic, but the worldbuilding draws the reader in, and I can take any amount of evocation of the golden stone of the Cotswolds in the days when they were at the centre of England’s trade.
Very few historical books for children concentrate on trade and industry, preferring gentlefolk and professional classes or the urban poor, but with the focus on a business that generates wealth also come questions for this modern reader about the workings of pre-modern industry and proto-capitalism which Harnett seems content to leave alone. Interesting too to see her depiction of women as key players in the world of work and yet mostly only interested in domestic matters, with the exception being Cecily, able to climb trees and shoot arrows like a boy (though not entirely undomesticated, the implication being that she will some day settle down into being a good wife). But also, writing at a time when England felt impoverished and its history had been damaged by bombs, Hartnett’s book recuperates that history, bringing to life the medieval streetscapes lost to postwar children as well as showing the good and the bad of an age with minimal state intervention in children’s lives. No wonder this book won the Carnegie medal when it was first published. But still an enjoyable read today: my first Harnett and I look forward to reading more.
February 25, 2024
A lovely children’s book, set in 15th c. England, that won the Carnegie Medal in 1951. The historical research seems detailed and impeccable. I enjoyed the careful descriptions of place: the Cotswolds, the New Forest, Southampton. Also the comically sneaky Italian merchants, who are thwarted by the earnest English children. I don’t think I can get my 12 year old to read this unfortunately, but I will definitely be reading Harnett’s other books!
December 31, 2017
This was one of my favourite books as a young reader. I still have a copy that I bought to remind me of this. It really brings medieval England to life.
August 21, 2022
I love this book; first read it as a child and found my old copy recently.
March 9, 2023
Carnegie medal winner. Unforgettable book. Lovingly illustrated by the author. Brings the period to life!
Want to read
November 1, 2023Recommended by Dad 1/11/23
August 21, 2025
I read this with my 12 year old. The story is a little slow, but it's very well written.
December 4, 2019
The plot was slow moving but I enjoyed the characters.
April 4, 2013
What I liked: fantastic Tudor period detail and language, very well researched. I also loved finding Southampton in there because I know it well. I recognised the city walls and Bargate, and the pictures helped reconstruct . I could really imagine what it was like.
What I didnt like: It was slow to start, but once the mystery was established it was compelling. I didn't like the chapters being uneven lengths.
Puzzles: We are left to assume that the betrothal finally happens when Nicholas' father's name is cleared with the Staple, and that Nicholas' uncle John sets off on his adventure.
Patterns: Cecily is a good match for Nicholas and becomes the unlikely heroine, which is a nice twist when Nicholas starts off dreading his marriage but quickly becomes firm friends with Cecily.
What I didnt like: It was slow to start, but once the mystery was established it was compelling. I didn't like the chapters being uneven lengths.
Puzzles: We are left to assume that the betrothal finally happens when Nicholas' father's name is cleared with the Staple, and that Nicholas' uncle John sets off on his adventure.
Patterns: Cecily is a good match for Nicholas and becomes the unlikely heroine, which is a nice twist when Nicholas starts off dreading his marriage but quickly becomes firm friends with Cecily.
May 17, 2013
Excellent little book for children. I read this aloud to a 9 year old. It follows the story of a wool merchant's son. The book manages to teach about the wool trade, economics of the 15th century, village life, debt and money lenders (even then!) and the infamous Lombards, the guilds and staples and the ordinary life of different parts of society. It has simple little sketches of historical items used in the story eg a spindle and then in a glossary at the back tells you what they were for and where to find them in the Victoria and Albert museum!
And after all that the story zips along and keeps the interest. I especially liked the fact that the daughter of a wool merchant who is betrothed to the main character was not in the least insipid or vacuous.
And after all that the story zips along and keeps the interest. I especially liked the fact that the daughter of a wool merchant who is betrothed to the main character was not in the least insipid or vacuous.
November 22, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Harnett created enjoyable characters in a believable historical setting with an engaging mysterious plot. Sometimes the perspective of a child or an outsider is clearer than an adult's because of the vested interest of that adult, but communication of that clarity is often difficult because of social expectations--I think that is a pretty fair summary, disregarding the setting.
January 3, 2019
As this book is one of my childhood favourites, I always make sure to read it once a year.
It is fun, well-written, gently educational, and a thoroughly good yarn (pun intended!) all round. This year as I re-read it, I realised that it also subverts gender roles or expectations very gently.
Can't wait for 2020, so I can break this book out again :D
It is fun, well-written, gently educational, and a thoroughly good yarn (pun intended!) all round. This year as I re-read it, I realised that it also subverts gender roles or expectations very gently.
Can't wait for 2020, so I can break this book out again :D
October 3, 2013
A fun book that is packed full of information about a very particular time in English history that I knew little about, 1493 and the wool trade. The story of Nicholas is used to tell a huge amount about the wool trade in English and its links with Florence in particular. A smelly noisy fascinating time told with real knowledge and affection. An enjoyable read.
August 24, 2015
I read this story when I was about 10 or 11. At that time I thought, in part thanks to this book, that Cynthia Harnett was one of the truly greats. If you are looking for a fiction book to give to a boy, they will find this story riveting, and will probably be interested to read her other works. Unfortunately, this was one of only 2 that my public library had.
February 19, 2016
I realise it has the rather sanitised, twee, and highly educational attitudes of 1951, but I knew that before re-reading it. Putting that to one side, I enjoyed it very much. It was nice to feel that a lot of trouble had been taken to write it well and with a good plot, even though it is a children's book.
December 26, 2019
One of those formative children’s books that got me interested in history. This is all about the historical detail, while managing to make a story about illegal adulteration in the wool trade actually fascinating. The slightly xenophobic treatment of the Italian merchants shows the books age though.
February 14, 2013
This is a beautifully descriptive novel about the wool trade in the late 15th century. The lack of suspense makes it more of a gentle read, but certainly enjoyable and engaging. It reads a little like a history book, which gives the impression that Harnett thoroughly researched her subject matter.
July 26, 2016
Read this many years ago, and it was probably a rather sanitised version of the middle ages, dating as it did from the 1950s, but I must have enjoyed it at the time as I know I read it more than once. However, I did eventually discard it so it can't have been a 'keeper' hence I'm giving it 3 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews