The Other Side of the Wall

by Mary Emily Ropes

When Jacques (Jack) Hamon receives a confidential assignment that could save the family fortune of a friend, he starts on a daring adventure. Jack fulfills his duty but pays a heavy price. He finds himself wrongfully imprisoned in a tower that rises from the rock of a small, desolate, storm-beaten island. All seems lost, but hope is rekindled when a hidden hole in the prison wall connects him with another prisoner and starts a series of events that would change his life forever.

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1826

About the author

Mary Emily Ropes (1842–1932) was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her father was William Hooper Ropes, a merchant in Russia. While young she lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, then moved to London and spent her later life in Wales. She wrote about Russian life with her brother, Adrian Ross (Arthur R. Ropes), in the book “On Peter’s Island.” Another popular story was “Mary Jones and Her Bible.”

Reviews

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little story about a man who is wrongfully put into prison, and how he uses faith and friendship to set things right. It has a great moral that teaches hard work, loyalty, and honesty.

This is a good, quick read for adults (approximately 2 hours), but would probably be a real struggle for kids.

The book was written two hundred years ago, and although it is written in English, the English is old, and there is a lot of French interspersed. For an adult reader with a basic understanding of French and English history in the early 1800s, the context clues are enough to help you get past any words that don't quite make sense. But children and teens reading it may get frustrated very quickly at what reads like almost nonsense at first.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as I can tell this takes place around 1805 in Northwest France across the channel from England. The very honest male MC is tasked with delivering a very important document to help prove a disputed inheritance. Wrongfully imprisoned before he can return to his ship, he meets another prisoner who has been there nearly a year and references Bonaparte calling himself First Consul before making himself Emperor.

The same villain who imprisoned both men is the one trying to wrongfully claim the inheritance. Yet the prisoners have a good jailer and talkative assistant who help them both, even if they don't mean to. The older prisoner also has his daughter on the outside planning to assist in their escape. Lots of French dialogue throughout and overall not a time period I am overly interested in so I don't think it is one I would reread. It is also similar to a mystery in that once you know how it ends it doesn't make as much sense to read a second time.

I read it for a reading challenge category (A story with a character who chooses honesty when lying would be easier) and it definitely fits that.

[Jenny Hartfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, relaxing read. Definitely a slower pace adventure as the hero spends most of the book unjustly captured in prison, but a satisfying ending nonetheless.

[Danielle Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun adventure! It took me a couple of chapters to get into it, but I really enjoyed it. A quick and enjoyable read!