The Thieves Of Tyburn Square

“My wallet!” bellowed the gentleman. In a flash he grabbed Loren by the collar of his shirt and dragged the boy to where the thief-catcher was holding a squirming Betsy.

Book: The Thieves of Tyburn Square (Trailblazer Books Book 18)  by Dave and Neta Jackson, Bethany House Publishers, 1995

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 11-15

Subjects: Crime, Missions, Quakers, Prison Ministry

Summary: When their mom is caught stealing a candlestick from the woman who stole from her, Betsey and Loren are left alone. They soon get sentenced to the workhouse where they work 11 hour shifts in dangerous conditions. When Loren finds a chance for escape, he jumps on it and takes Betsey with him. However, almost immediately they are caught pick-pocketing and sent to jail to await trial. Life in prison is even worse than the workhouse and Betsey soon becomes ill. When a Quaker missionary, Elizabeth Fry, comes into the prison Betsey finds reason for hope again. But is this woman really powerful enough to bring Betsey’s family back together again?

Notes: This book tells the story of Elizabeth Fry, a Quaker missionary who worked for reform, particularly for women prisoners in London. It is #17 in the Trailblazers series, a series designed to introduce readers to famous missionaries throughout history. The authors always have young characters who interact with the missionaries and who the story is centered around. These characters often are helped by the missionary, then learn to understand the heart for the lost themselves.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.