The Ratcatcher's Daughter

by Pamela Rushby

It's 1900. Thirteen-year-old Issy McKelvie leaves school and starts her first job - very reluctantly - as a maid in an undertaking establishment. She thinks this is about as low as you can go. But there's worse to come. Issy becomes an unwilling rat-catcher when the plague - the Black Death - arrives in Australia. Issy loathes both rats and her father's four yappy, snappy, hyperactive rat-killing terriers. But when her father becomes ill it's up to Issy to join the battle to rid the city of the plague-carrying rats. Ages 10+

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, School, Childrens, Historical

230 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2014

Reviews

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absorbing, interesting and unexpected. Issy is a terrific narrator, observing the horrifying events around her with insight and wry judgement. The depiction of Brisbane at the turn of the century and the historical facts about this devastating plague outbreak do not overwhelm the narrative.

Lots of clever details shows readers are in accomplished hands with Pam Rushby. Loved the open-ended final pages. And of course, no good historical novel is without more notes, appendices, glossary and bibliography after the actual story is over. This book has much useful information for people wanting more.

Enjoyed this a lot.

[Emily W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Issie Mc-Kelvie is a 12 year old girl finishing school to start her new job, But Issie thinks that she has the poorest family around. Little does she know that an unwelcome visitor is coming to visit Australia? The Plague, the black death carried by fleas on rats. Issie Despises rats and fleas yet what will she have to put up with when her dad gets unleashes those yappy, snappy rat killing dogs.
When her father becomes ill, it’s up to Issie to be an unwilling ratcatcher. However, many things about the city’s control of the plague are not as they seem. Issie comes to realize that the real world is very different from the one she thought she knew.

[Steven Paulsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a slow burn, half way through I thought it was good but not great. But the last third ramps things up and ties it all together.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pamela Rushby's The Ratcatcher's Daughter is an insightful middle grade historical novel that follows thirteen year old Issy McKelvie as she navigates her way through life in plague-ridden Brisbane, Australia at the turn of the 20th century.

The Black Death (yes, the one from the 14th century) arrives in Australia after all these years, and proceeds to infect hundreds of civilians and make many more panic. It was great how, through the story, you could see the impacts of the Black Death on the people and the way they reacted, some quite irrationally. People were desperate and were willing to do almost anything to save their family and themselves from the plague. It was insightful in that it explored a part of history I hadn't heard about.

I found it all very interesting. Even if you don't know anything about the Black Death, it is all covered without excessive info-dumping. I liked how subtle clues were dropped throughout the story that led up to the plague. There was some foreshadowing, if you will, instead of the plague entering the story abruptly. The characters were developed nicely before that point, and I think that benefited the story as it gave the reader an idea of what life was like before the plague hit.

It made the book even more interesting that I had actually studied the Black Death a couple of years ago in history class which gave some background knowledge to the disease and made it easier for me to understand and sympathise with the characters in their situation.

I found the writing as well as Issy's voice simple and easy to follow, perfect for middle grade and younger audiences. Throughout the novel, there is a good balance of history and fiction. I think especially as the book is aimed at children, there isn't too much historical information bogging down the story.

There were a couple of things I wasn't so happy about. I think it would have been more convincing to introduce two particular secondary characters at least a few chapters earlier (Slippery Joe and Mr Lee) even just as a passing mention because when they were introduced it was at a time very convenient for the story and the particular conversation two characters were having. The plot is a fair bit predictable but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Finally, Issy's dad doesn't get sick until about 50-60 pages before the end and that is only when Issy starts ratcatching for him. This bit of information is actually in the synopsis, and although it plays a major part in the story, it doesn't come about until the end, which again, was mightily convenient for the characters.

I found all the characters quite quaint, likable and realistic. Issy is a mixture of thirteen year old curiosity, intelligence and some naivety that proved endearing. She is actually quite mature, and with the subject matter in the story, she has to be.

I liked how Issy was determined to beat all the odds and prove to herself more than anyone that if she perseveres, she can accomplish what she set out to do. I really liked experiencing the family dynamics that the McKelvie's (and the Lewis') had and that feeling of belonging and familiarity evident between the family members. I also liked reading about Issy and her sister Kate, and even with how close their bond was, realistically at times they fought and had starkly differing opinions on certain topics.

Girls at the times didn't have many opportunities and I was glad for Issy that her ending was a happy one. Out of her family, she was the only one who had big dreams and never let anyone crush them or stop her from trying.

Reading the author's note at the end of the book was interesting as it outlined how she learnt about the Black Death in Australia in the 1900s and the process she used to write the book. I could see how much research that must have went into the book. I also found it a little surprising that the Black Death is still around and has never gone away completely. Even to this day, every year there are some people who catch it. Obviously now, with advanced technology and medical practices, it wouldn't be such a problem, but it definitely was only a hundred years ago.

Overall, The Ratcatcher's Daughter was a delightfully quick and insightful read that surprised me in a good way. Historical isn't a genre I usually pick up, but perhaps the younger characters and interesting subject matter captured my attention. I wasn't expecting to connect with Issy as much as I did, and contrary to my usual preferences, I did thoroughly enjoy the historical aspects of this novel.

I would recommend this to young readers as the writing is very easy to follow and nothing too distressing happens. It explores a little known part of Australian history that I'm sure many others would find interesting. A solid four stars.

Quotes:

"The clerk stared. 'But you're a girl!'
'Yes,' I agreed. 'I'm a girl.'
'I'll have to get Mr Stevens,' the clerk said.
Mr Stevens was another observant soul. 'But you're a girl,' he said.
'Yes,' I said. 'I'm also a fully trained ratcatcher.'"

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for school. Did you know that Australia had several outbreaks of the Black Death in the early twentieth century? Me neither. This is set in Brisbane, during the first outbreak in 1900. It's got gender stuff and class stuff, because the main character is a young girl who has to go out to work because her family needs the money - so she maids for an undertaker's family. Her sister does the same at a doctor's. Their father works on the docks, sometimes, and ratcatches on the side... which is a good trade once it's realised there is plague, and the rats need to be dealt with.

Very readable, I think very approachable. There's a great little bit about how much effort it is to do washing, which is a good entry into Hans Rosling's Magic Washing Machine TED talk.

[Arabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to read but I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. The whole family is reading it now.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for all ages.

[Rebecca Fung · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Black Death is a very interesting topic for a YA story and may be especially interesting now in light of Covid, with some good discussion possible about comparing how society and people have reacted to these two diseases, and how things have changed and what people do better with hindsight, and how such a situation affects people on different scales.

The story is a historical fiction and there's plenty of great details with the family and the undertaker's job and the ratcatcher's job. I can imagine some people loving this but also wincing and looking away. It also shows plenty of the social divisions between rich and poor, male and female and also between racial classes. The Chinese also seemed to be blamed for spreading this.

I found the lead character was great at observing and had a very interesting part to play as an ambitious and smart woman who had some unenviable duties and saw some very gritty things in her time. Rats, plague, dead bodies, chamber pots. I really felt engaged with both the story and the character even if some of the story was more interesting than others.

[Judy Wollin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I particularly loved the Brisbane setting. It was a joy to read such a well-written local book. The characters were engaging and the ethical dilemmas relevant for today more than 100 years later.
Issy is growing up in a poor working-class family with very few educational or work options, regardless of her sharp mind. The family need the money, so she will go to work. Her mother has found her a job in a funeral parlour as a maid in the upstairs home.
An outbreak of the Plague changes everything, adn Issy discovers not everyone is treated the same when it comes to quarantine and death rites.
Recommended for readers aged ten years or older.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a local street library.
When I started reading, I found that it was set the suburb I used to live in.
This made the story really come alive.
I had no idea about the plague being a problem in Brisbane.
This was written prior to covid, but parts of the story could easily have described the isolating of contacts and the stigma of become infected.

[Dcow14 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Ratcatcher's Daughter wasn't the best in terms of plot and character development, but it was an enjoyable book that gave interesting insight into a little-known aspect of Australia's, mainly Queensland's, past.

[Plum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was clearly a very well researched story, and the characters are interesting. I had difficulty with the credibility of the interactions though, many conversations seeming to be a vessel for the relay of information about the plague, and social history, rather than natural sounding discourse.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical story about the plague in Australia in the early 1900s. Heavy on dialogue, some young readers might find it a slow read, but those interested in historical fiction will devour this interesting story.

[Nishant Kashyap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just to wanted to take a break from adult books and so jumped on to this ‘feel good’ bag of words. A nice break indeed. Made me feel I am watching ‘Ann with an e’ in my mind.

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite engaging; always an enjoyable way to learn about history.

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is entertaining and teaches the audience a lot about the struggles they went through during this time

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Yuika Hashimoto · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting i guess

[Ash ꣑ৎ (quit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was surprisingly good. Wasn't expecting to like it at all.

[Eugenia (Genie In A Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This review also appears on the blog Chasm of Books*

Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

It's very easy to let some moments in history be left relatively unnoticed, and in the case of The Ratcatcher's Daughter something like this comes to light. I never knew that the plague had ever made its way to Australia in the first place, but this book offered a whole new perspective on it. The fear, caution and ability to keep life going on in the midst of some panic is explored in the story, with a protagonist who still has high hopes for the future in what she could achieve.

When Issy is forced to take up a job in an undertaking establishment and sacrifice her education she is surprised to find that at first it isn't so bad after all. Her father's business in ratcatching was thriving and the family seemed to be doing well. However, when the 'Black Death' comes to Australia and panic starts to set in, her world is changed and her whole family is faced with the unknown. As people around her start to be affected, Issy soon learns that when working with an undertaker there is more than what meets the eye.

I've always been interested in reading historical fiction because of the unique insight it can bring into a historical event. This novel told quite an interesting story of a girl who was trying to make the most of her life, but having to deal with the challenges that an unexpected medical epidemic could bring. Issy was a well-developed and interesting character who was taking on a lot of responsibility since she had to work. Apart from trying to provide for her family, she still had an interest in making something of herself and had ambition, which was nice to see. The members of her family and friends all played large roles in Issy's life and also added more depth to the story.

What struck me the most about this book was how so many people were desperate to cover up the fact that they had the disease and how poorly some of them were treated if they did. It really is quite scary to think that something like this actually happened here, and although it was over 100 years ago you can imagine how terrifying it would have been to face a disease which it was extremely difficult to cure.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, The Ratcatcher's Daughter was a really interesting read about a time in Australian history where something that isn't often mentioned is given some light. I would definitely recommend this to older primary school or early high school readers who should find it both educational in some ways but as an entertaining story as well.

[Jenny Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1900 and 13 year old Issy, who,lives in Brisbane QLD, has to leave school and get a job to earn money for her family. Her first job is as a maid at an undertakers. That year the Black Death, or the plague, arrives in Australia. And Issy's dad is a rat catcher besides working on the wharves, catching the rats whose fleas infect humans. But before her dad's business can sing into top gear, the boy next door, Albert comes down with the plague and Issy and her family and the neighbours on the there side of Albert's family are all shipped off to a plague hospital.
Well rounded descriptions of what life was like back then, particularly for family's with little money and few prospects but not too gruesome for the intended audience. Learnt lots about this time and place, which I had little knowledge of before.

[Amanda Witt]

A teen fiction book, set in Brisbane in 1900. While the main teen character Issy, her family and contacts are fictional, the basic facts about the bubonic plague arriving in Australia via rats from ships, are true. Author's notes in the back list further cases of the plague during that decade.

Issy's father called 'Da' is the ratcatcher and she has to take on this role for a couple of weeks with the terriers while he recovers from the flu.
She works for the funeral director and her older sister for the local doctor, and both these professionals are involved in covering up cases of the plague because those people have money.

[Jude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is centred around the arrival of the bubonic plague in Queensland, Australia. Issy McKelvie leaves school at the age of thirteen to work as a maid to help her family financially. With the arrival of the plague she ends up helping her father with his pack of dogs - the rat catchers. I thought that this was a great read and I found it hard to put down.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book really interesting as;
1. I didn't know there was the plague in Brisbane
2. I hadn't read may Historical Fiction books about Brisbane
3. I loved reading a book featuring places I'd actually been!
4. It is a really enjoyable story

[MissStan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the plague in Brisbane in 1900. I had no idea about it. Great insights into the difficulties of the time, and the differences between men and women, rich and poor and different races. Thank goodness times have changed.

[Nicole Llewellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read. I could not put it down.

[Hanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://riverbendschoolsbookclub.wordp...

[Nella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story about the bubonic plague in Brisbane in 1900. Main character Issy is well rounded - striving to be more educated than her situation would usually allow

[Christine Bongers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into the outbreak of bubonic plague in Brisbane in the early 1900s. A great read for 11-13 year old girls.