‘Taylor is superb at voices from another, or any, age. Annie is utterly convincing… Ben too is a touching figure’
Herring Girl
Debbie TaylorSet in a Tyneside fishing village, Herring Girl moves effortlessly between 1898 and 2007 as twelve-year-old Ben finds himself the unlikely conduit for Annie, a herring girl who lived – and died – a century earlier. As Ben tries to unravel the puzzle of Annie’s death, he is drawn irresistibly into her long-vanished world.
Bringing the startling story of Annie’s life and curious death vividly to life, this brilliantly realised historical mystery introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, and reveals how the secrets of our past are never too far away.
Reviews
Scotsman
‘This powerfully atmospheric novel absolutely enthralled me…I was utterly gripped…It’s brilliantly plotted, beautifully written, full of memorable characters and steeped in so much local flavour you can almost taste the kippers’
Daily Mail
‘A great read’
WeightWatchers magazine
‘Fascinating… A beautiful, skilled book and a thoroughly riveting read’
Northern Soul
‘Like nothing you’ve read before’
Grazia, one of the best big blockbusters
‘A gripping story about how the past can never truly be lost. Extensively researched, even the more far-fetching coincidence’s in Ben’s life are given plausibility and her characters are lively and captivating’
We Love This Book
"The resolution of the mystery is satisfying, as are the very real connections between the characters past and present. A great book for historical fiction readers."
Kirkus Reviews
'Wonderful. Conjures up the past with such visceral intensity that you feel as if you are there.’
Sarah Dunant, author of The Birth of Venus
‘A vividly imaginative, sensuous and atmospheric novel.’
Helen Dunmore, author of The Siege
