This book is awesome in its power. A chilling fable of a heroic girl prepared to risk everything in the pursuit of justice. The heroine is an inspiration for all who read about her. Though written primarily for the 9-12 year old market, Fearless has universal appeal. It is a classic tale of freedom, imprisonment and redemption. With echoes of Orwell, Fearless addresses issues of control and religion in society but above all it is a haunting, powerful story that should not be missed. Lott may have written for adults before but this is his first foray into writing for children and what an exciting new voice it is.
Julia Eccleshare comment:
A modern fable, this tells how Fearless, a young girl locked up in the City Community Faith School, determines to escape so that she can tell the whole world about what is really happening. A thought provoking account of how one courageous individual can bring about change if they are brave enough to do so.
Quote from Jacqueline Wilson: ‘Fearless is powerful, haunting and utterly original, a disturbing but ultimately uplifting story of an indominatable child who will not be crushed by the system. I think it will become an immediate classic. Fearless is fabulous in all senses of the word.’
The smartly painted exterior of the City Community Faith School hides a disturbing secret. Behind its walls, 1000 girls are forced to labour in the city's laundry, separated from their families and deprived of their freedom. One of these girls is Little Fearless, a courageous spirit who never gives up hope that one day they will be rescued.
Tim Lott was born in 1956 in Southall, Middlesex, England and studied Politics and History at the London School of Economics. As well as journalism, he has worked in publishing and broadcasting, and was editor of the London listings magazine City Limits.Tim has four daughters and lives in London.
As a writer
The Scent of Dried Roses, a moving account of his mother's depression and eventual suicide, won the J. R. Ackerley Prize. His first novel, White City Blue, a vivid and comic contemporary portrait of a group of young male friends, won the Whitbread First Novel Award. It was followed by Rumours of a Hurricane, the story of a couple living in Britain at the beginning of the 1980s and their acceptance of Thatcherite values following the British victory in the Falklands. His other work includes The Love Secrets of Don Juan, The Seymour Tapes and Fearless, his acclaimed first novel for younger readers.