Books with title The Thin Executioner

"A thrilling historical adventure (with Common Core connections) set in the underbelly of the Tower of London and on the Thames in Tudor times. "Perfect for fans of Matthew J. Kirby's "The Clockwork Three" and F.E. Higgins's "The Black Book of Secrets." "Basket Girl, ""When you're dead""Who will carry""All the heads?" The crowds at the Tower of London love a good execution. As the basket girl, it's Moss's job to catch the heads that her father chops off. It's a life she longs to leave behind, but she, too, is a prisoner and there's no escaping the Tower walls. Or is there? A hidden tunnel takes her to the shores of the great River Thames, where she meets Salter, a river rat who teaches her how to survive with her wits, and the occasional theft. But there's a reason Moss's father insisted she never go near the river--a deal struck long ago--and now payment is due. . . . Jane Hardstaff's "The Executioner's Daughter" is a thrilling historical adventure with a hint of a ghost story set amid the glamour and grime of Tudor London during the reign of Henry VIII. Praise for "The Executioner's Daughter" Longlisted for the 2015 Oxfordshire Book Award "Hardstaff has a real talent for creating a sense of place and drama . . . and her descriptions of the wretchedness of life on the river and a child's lowly lot are worth locking yourself up for an afternoon's reading pleasure." --"The Times" (London) "This notable debut mixes vivid history with supernatural adventure, and from its dark depths friendship, forgiveness, and parental love rise to the surface." --"The Sunday Times"

The riveting tale of an executioner's daughter who struggles to find a different path in lifeBorn into the family of an executioner, Lily has always been sheltered by her mother from the horrors of her father's occupation. But when her ailing mother takes a turn for the worse, Lily is suddenly thrust into the paralyzing role of executioner's assistant. Aside from preparing healing concoctions for the suffering and maimed, Lily must now accompany her father at the town executions, something she has never done before. Though she loves her father, the emotional burden of his disturbing profession is just too much for her to bear. Lily must find a way to change her destiny, no matter the consequences.Set in medieval England, this well-researched and beautifully written novel tells the story of one girl's fight to rise above her fate.

The riveting tale of an executioner's daughter who struggles to find a different path in lifeBorn into the family of an executioner, Lily has always been sheltered by her mother from the horrors of her father's occupation. But when her ailing mother takes a turn for the worse, Lily is suddenly thrust into the paralyzing role of executioner's assistant. Aside from preparing healing concoctions for the suffering and maimed, Lily must now accompany her father at the town executions, something she has never done before. Though she loves her father, the emotional burden of his disturbing profession is just too much for her to bear. Lily must find a way to change her destiny, no matter the consequences.Set in medieval England, this well-researched and beautifully written novel tells the story of one girl's fight to rise above her fate.

Norman Mailer's Pulitzer Prize-winning and unforgettable classic about convicted killer Gary Gilmore now in audio.Arguably the greatest book from America's most heroically ambitious writer, THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG follows the short, blighted life of Gary Gilmore who became famous after he robbed two men in 1976 and killed them in cold blood. After being tried and convicted, he immediately insisted on being executed for his crime. To do so, he fought a system that seemed intent on keeping him alive long after it had sentenced him to death. And that fight for the right to die is what made him famous.Mailer tells not only Gilmore's story, but those of the men and women caught in the web of his life and drawn into his procession toward the firing squad. All with implacable authority, steely compassion, and a restraint that evokes the parched landscape and stern theology of Gilmore's Utah. THE EXECUTIONER'S SONG is a trip down the wrong side of the tracks to the deepest source of American loneliness and violence. It is a towering achievement-impossible to put down, impossible to forget.

A thrilling adventure set in the underbelly of the Tower of London. Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory's 'Order of Darkness' series and Percy Jackson.Moss hates her life. As the daughter of the Executioner in the Tower of London, it’s her job to catch the heads in her basket after her father has chopped them off. She dreams of leaving, but they are prisoners with no way out.Then Moss discovers a hidden tunnel that takes her to freedom, where she learns that her life isn’t what she believes it to be and she doesn’t know who to trust.Her search for the truth takes her on a journey along the great River Thames. Could the answers lie deep in its murky depths?With guest appearances from Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, young fans of historical fiction will be transported back to a vividly realised past. Perfect for readers aged 9+.Look out for the heart-stopping sequel River Daughter.Jane Hardstaff is a major new voice in children's historical fiction. She longed to be an artist, but somehow became a TV producer. She grew up in Wiltshire with her brothers, hunting mayfly-nymphs with her father and reading fairytales with her mother. Now she lives in London’s East End, near the great, wild River Thames – the inspiration for her novels.Praise for Hardstaff:'a strong, new voice in children’s fiction – draws a wonderfully authentic portrait of a wilful tween desperate to find out more about her origins and flee the house of death' - The Times'This notable debut mixes vivid history with supernatural adventure, and from its dark depths friendship, forgiveness and parental love rise to the surface.' - The Sunday TimesThe Executioner's Daughter was chosen as Children's Book of the Week by The Sunday Times and The Times.

All her life, Moss has lived in the Tower of London with her father, who serves as the executioner for King Henry VIII. Prisoners condemned to death must face Pa and his axe―and Moss catches their severed heads. Her father insists he has no choice: if he leaves the Tower, he will be killed. But Moss can't bear to be the executioner's daughter any longer. When she finally finds a way out of the Tower, she discovers the river holds more dangers than she imagined―including the Riverwitch's curse. The Riverwitch once helped Moss's family in exchange for a terrible bargain; now she expects Moss to pay the debt.

Winner of the 1980 Pulitzer PrizeIn what is arguably his greatest book, America's most heroically ambitious writer followsthe short, blighted career of Gary Gilmore, an intractably violent product of America'sprisons who became notorious for two reasons: first, for robbing two men in 1976, thenkilling them in cold blood; and, second, after being tried and convicted, for insisting ondying for his crime. To do so, he had to fight a system that seemed paradoxically intent onkeeping him alive long after it had sentenced him to death.Norman Mailer tells Gilmore's story--and those of the men and women caught up in hisprocession toward the firing squad--with implacable authority, steely compassion, and arestraint that evokes the parched landscapes and stern theology of Gilmore's Utah. TheExecutioner's Song is a trip down the wrong side of the tracks to the deepest sources ofAmerican loneliness and violence. It is a towering achievement--impossible to put down, impossible to forget.