Books with title A Thief in the Village

The Village is beautiful, a place of order and security, but it harbours three outsiders-Ellen the tinker's daughter, returning with her father to the place where he grew up, a freewoman among serfs; William, whose father is Lord of the Manor; and Sam, who is 'different'. As each strives to find their identity and their place in a world where they can never fully feel accepted, they are unexpectedly faced with a bigger challenge: the Black Death. How will they cope with the terror that is all around them? What inner resources can they find to make sense of life? In the face of such devastation, can things ever be the same, or what new world should they build? As each of them tells their story, we see the glimmerings of hope and new life in the midst of great uncertainty. Ellen, William and Sam-three young people with an extraordinary challenge to face.

Jamie and a new friend with an interest in common try to find some sign of a neighbouring village which was believed to have died out in the 14th century, apparently from disease. No trace is left as the countryside has reclaimed the land which has reverted back to it’s native woodland. They have both played there as kids, but something is different now. On an expedition to look for any signs of the old village, they find a lot more than they expected, and make some unexpected new friends. How can these new friends walk through a field of long grass without leaving a trail or crushing a single stem? Who or what is ‘the beast’ that terrifies them, and is the vicar’s wife really as clumsy as she says, or is there another reason for her bruises? Why does the black cat always sit in the same place in the churchyard? What is the secret of the ‘singing cave’ where these people go to enjoy the heat which comes from the walls? Jamie finds the answers to these questions almost unbelievable, but there can be no other explanation. It’s happening, and his new friend becomes entangled in the mystery and is lost, maybe for ever.

The Village is beautiful, a place of order and security, but it harbours three outsiders-Ellen the tinker's daughter, returning with her father to the place where he grew up, a freewoman among serfs; William, whose father is Lord of the Manor; and Sam, who is 'different'. As each strives to find their identity and their place in a world where they can never fully feel accepted, they are unexpectedly faced with a bigger challenge: the Black Death. How will they cope with the terror that is all around them? What inner resources can they find to make sense of life? In the face of such devastation, can things ever be the same, or what new world should they build? As each of them tells their story, we see the glimmerings of hope and new life in the midst of great uncertainty. Ellen, William and Sam-three young people with an extraordinary challenge to face.

This is a collection of short stories about children and young people in Jamaica. Full of wonderfully atmospheric background detail combined with the rhythms and patterns of speech, these contemporary narratives bring to life a culture highly relevant to multi ethnic Britain. Stories include "Becky and the Wheels and Brake Boys"; "A Thief in the Village"; "Tukku Tukku and Sampson"; "All other Days Run into Sunday"; "The Mouth Organ Boys"; "Elias and the Mongoose"; "The Pet, The Sea and Little Buddy"; "Fanso and Granny-Flo"; and, "The Banana Tree".