Pullman, P. (1985). The ruby and the smoke: a Sally Lockhart mystery. New York : Knopf.ISBN-10 037584516X
ISBN-13 978-0375845161
230 pgs
Format: Book
Genre: Mystery, Historical Novel
Classification: Fiction
Age level: Young Adult
Reader's annotation
Sally Lockhart is lost in a world of intrigue in 19th century England as she investigates the suspicious death of her father.
Summary
Set in Victorian England, The Ruby and the Smoke is atmospheric and dark, and filled with suspense and mystery. Sally Lockhart, a sixteen-year-old orphan, is an intelligent and brave heroine, and it’s fascinating to spend time with her on the streets of London as she tries to solve the mystery of her father’s murder; he drowned in the South China Sea. She is trying to find the meaning of the phrase "the Seven Blessings" and is horrified when it causes a close friend of her father to die in fright when she mentions it. Sally befriends a young photographer who takes portraits in the early days of the medium, and his sister, an actress. They become a kind of found family for Sally even as she feels conflicted about possibly bringing danger into their lives. The novel is reminiscent of Dickens as the reader becomes acquainted with the dire poverty in London, especially as it affects children, and the consequences of the opium trade.
Notes
This novel manages to be both historical and feminist, and while Sally grieves the loss of her father she is a strong, even-headed, intelligent young women who is in charge of her own destiny.
Awards and honors
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Sally Lockhart Mystery Series
The Ruby and the Smoke (1985)
Shadow in the North (1988)
The Tiger in the Well (1990)
Other titles by this Philip Pullman
His Dark Materials Series
The Golden Compass (1995)
The Subtle Knife (1997)
The Amber Spyglass (2000)
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