Carnegie-prize winning Melvin Burgess brings the past to life in this atmospheric story of witchcraft in seventeenth-century England. Haunted by terrible dreams Issy has to find out about her past and about her true nature. Brought up infused with the suspicions of the time about the crones called witches and the dubious magic they wrought, Issy has to step deep into their world to find out more – and to discover her own true nature and powers.
Burgess paints a vivid picture of one girl's courage and honesty in a world steeped in superstition and prejudice.
Nobody knows where Issy came from. Rescued from fire as a baby, she lives peacefully with kindly Nat and his son, Ghyll. But then hysteria about witchcraft startsto mount, and Issy finds herself amongst the accused. So when the powerful Iohan offers her a means of escape, she cannot refuse.
Nobody knows where Issy came from. Rescued from fire as a baby, she lives peacefully with kindly Nat and his son, Ghyll. But then hysteria about witchcraft startsto mount, and Issy finds herself amongst the accused. So when the powerful Iohan offers her a means of escape, she cannot refuse.
For a while Issy is happy with Iohan. Then, haunted by dreams of flames and shocked by new-found powers, she begins to doubt her own nature. After seeing Iohan and her friends frolicking with what appears to be the devil, she flees, believing that her own salvation depends on their undoing. And so she confesses to witchcraft and accuses her friends . . . only to realise too late that not all witches are evil . . .
‘Vivid and atmospheric . . . Unforgettable stuff.' - The Guardian
‘Brutally honest . . . this remarkable historical novel erupts into life from the very first page’ - Financial Times
‘A writer of the highest quality with exceptional powers of insight’ - Sunday Times
‘If a children’s author like Burgess didn’t exist, we would most definitely have to invent him’ - The Guardian
‘A Dickens of the future.’ - Michael Rosen
Author
About Melvin Burgess
Melvin Burgess was brought up in Sussex and Berkshire. As a child, his reading included The Wind in the Willows and Gerald Durrell's animal stories. He went on to enjoy The Hobbit and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books. A generally unconfident student, he became interested in writing when he was twelve and an English teacher praised one of his stories - "it was about the first time I'd ever done anything that got an A. I was so pleased I never stopped." After leaving school, Melvin moved to Bristol where he worked on occasional jobs, mainly in the building industry, and was often unemployed. He started writing in his twenties and wrote on and off for the next fifteen years before The Cry of the Wolf was published in 1990. He moved to London in 1983 and began a small business marbling fabrics for the fashion industry. In 1997 his controversial bestseller Junk won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal. It was also shortlisted for the 1998 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. Four of his novels have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
Melvin Burgess is regarded as one of the best writers in contemporary children's literature. In 1997, his controversial bestseller Junk won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal. It was also shortlisted for the 1998 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. Four of his novels have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Melvin lives in Hebden Bridge with his partner.
Nobody knows where Issy came from. Rescued from fire as a baby, she lives peacefully with kindly Nat and his son, Ghyll.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Burning Issy and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-12 years old
Burning Issy features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Recommended Children's eBooks, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. Not Available.
Burning Issy was written by Melvin Burgess and published by Hodder Children's Books an imprint of Hachette Children's Group
