The Great Revolt

By Author / Illustrator

Paul Dowswell

Genre

Historical Fiction

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

ISBN

9781472968425

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-08-2020

Synopsis

Thrilling historical adventure set during the English peasants' revolt of 1381, by Paul Dowswell, the author of Auslander, and Wolf Children. It's 1381 and the king, Richard II, has imposed a new tax on the people. In the village of Aylesford, Tilda and her ploughman father were already struggling to make ends meet. As serfs they have no rights to move freely or earn wages for their work. Tilda is desperate for a better life than the village can offer, so when the villagers begin to rebel she is swept up in the excitement. Tilda and her father travel to London with the others to petition the king, but the peaceful rebellion they hoped for soon ignites into violence, mayhem and treachery. Tilda's fight for a better life is only just beginning...This page-turning adventure sheds new light on a period of history which is covered in the KS3 curriculum, and will have readers gripped from start to finish.

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Reviews

The Great Revolt by Paul Dowswell is a historical novel covering the peasant rebellion of 1381 over the unpopular poll tax. Covering a non-statutory element of the Key Stage 3 history curriculum, this text sits firmly on secondary school bookshelves.

Tilda Rolfe and her father, Thomas, live on the estate of Lord Laybourne in the village of Aylesford. Known as serfs, they are tied to their lord and the village they live in. Sadly, Tilda's mother died in childbirth. The Rolfes live in a hut and work Laybourne's land for pennies. When tax collectors come and relive them of their hard earned money, Tilda is angry at the injustice. She longs to learn how to read and write as well. Hearing the news of a large group of serfs gathering in Essex, the Rolfes follow the Kent peasants and their leaders to London to rebel. There they are amazed by the hustle and bustle of the city and the different way in which John, Thomas' brother and his family live (brick houses, upstairs!). The rebellion grows in strength in London and Tilda, Thomas and John are caught up in the action.

The reader is also introduced to the young King, Richard, and his advisors and Guy, his scribe. The inner workings of the king and his advisors are shown, as are some of their hiding places around London.

Well paced and plotted, this is a great historical text. Tilda is a strong protagonist, curious and observant. She analyses what is happening and strives to live a better live with friends and education. The contrast between the chapters with the peasants and royalty is striking.

The reader is taken along on the journey with Tilda and Thomas. There is excellent vocabulary and language used with lots of historical language that could be studied in a history or English lesson. Teachers aiming to use this book in a classroom should be aware that some of the descriptions are graphic (decapitation and rotting corpses) and there is also mention of rape and death in childbirth. This is definitely not a middle grade book and sits firmly in KS3.

288 pages / Ages 12+ / Reviewed by Bryony Davies, school librarian