The Miraculous Sweetmakers – The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings @tashajhastings @The_WriteReads @WriteReadsTours @HarperCollinsCh #TheMiraculousSweetmakers #TheFrostFair #TheWriteReads

“An amazing and captivating, curl-up-on-the-sofa debut about a magical frost fair and the lasting power of friendship.”

My Review

Now, how do I begin with my review of this marvellous book?! The cover and the title alone were enough to make me want to read it, then the blurb (see below) had me sold.

❄I have always been fascinated by the historical big freezes and this period in history.

🍬I get hugely excited about old fashioned shops like sweetshops and apothecaries (all those intriguing little bottles, jars, pills and potions and the little drawers with scoops…).

🧙‍♀️I love stories with friendship and a sprinkle of magic and mystery.

So, after all that, did the book meet my expectations? No – it exceeded them! Oh my, this book was such a pleasure to read. The beginning was heartbreaking and I really felt for poor Thomasina, both then and throughout the story. I felt that she was an incredibly strong character who coped enormously well with a fairly desperate situation. It’s easy to see why she would have been so eager to take Inigo up on his bargain (no spoilers!).

Thomasina had to grow up really quickly following the tragedy and she was very much alone. It was lovely when she started to make friends with Anne and Henry, and they were really good friends to her.

The descriptions of the frost fair were enchanting and those of the other frost fair were captivating. I could really imagine the sights and smells of the frost fair, it was really evocative. The author’s use of description is perfect and the illustrations really brought the story to life.

There are some really important themes explored in the book – those of grief and mental illness were at the forefront and I think the author handled them really well, not shying away from the realities of deep despair but showing great sensitivity. The horrifying reality of the treatment of ‘madeness’, particularly in women is highlighted, and carefully written considering the target audience. It was good to see the way Thomasina’s view of her mother and the other characters changed over time as she became more understanding of the needs.

Friendship is also a theme in the book, alongside having a strong work ethic and the difficulty of being taken seriously as a woman. The relationship between Thomasina and Anne and their excitement over creating recipes together worked really well. It was great to see a children’s book with strong female characters.

The book is well paced and the tension builds nicely. There are some close shaves and moments where you really don’t know how things can possibly work out well. There are some really moving moments and I found the ending really beautiful. There are moments of heartbreak, fear, excitement and joy and I don’t mind admitting that it made me cry. I loved this book so much, I really want a physical copy and I will definitely read it again and encourage my children to read it. It tackles some really important issues in a beautiful, exciting package and I applaud the author for such a fantastic debut. The illustrations are stunning and the illustrator, Alex T Smith, also deserves high praise. An undisputed 5 stars from me.

❄❄❄❄❄/5

Many thanks to Dave at The Write Reads and the author and publisher for my gifted e-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Why not check out the other fantastic reviews on the blog tour? Check out The twitter profiles tagged in the title.

The blurb

It’s a cold winter during the Great Frost of 1683. Thomasina and Anne are the best of friends, one running her father’s sweet shop and the other the apprentice at the family apothecary – together they sell their goods on the frozen River Thames. When a family tragedy turns Thomasina’s world upside down, she is drawn to a mysterious conjuror and the enchanted frost fair.

But soon the world of Father Winter threatens to claim everything she holds dear. Will they be able to solve the magical mysteries that surround them…?

About The Author

Natasha Hastings started developing The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair while studying history at Cambridge University, where she focused on gender and mental illness. While exploring these topics, she became determined to have the lives of working women, as well as their experiences of mental illness in this period, form the heartbeat of her debut book, The Frost Fair.