The Book of Stolen Dreams: The Secret Key Synopsis
The dazzling follow-up to the phenomenal The Book of Stolen Dreams from master storyteller David Farr, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman.
Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure... Rachel and Robert have defeated the tyrant Malstain and become the heroes of Krasnia, but all is not how it should be. Robert is swept away with his new friends, leaving Rachel alone to take care of her ailing father, who's lost without their beloved mother. From nowhere, a boy appears knowing the secrets of the hidden blood-red key. For the key is a way into the Hinterland - and Rachel must promise that, as a new key keeper, she will answer when it calls.
When a young girl, Elsa Spiegel, is illegally smuggled into the Hinterland, Rachel has no choice but to use her key to save Elsa. But her fate is linked to Krasnia, and Rachel must battle to save her home as she knows it.
Originally titled The Secret of the Blood-Red Key and renamed The Book of Stolen Dreams: The Secret Key.
'A new and important voice for young people.' - Michael Morpurgo
'Dazzling! An instant classic. An eye-wateringly funny and jaw-droppingly fantastical adventure, chock-a-block with rare books, airships, and penguin-shaped hats.' - Ben Miller
'A wonderful story. Gripping and magical.'- Anthony Horowitz
'Told by a distinguished script writer with clarity, feeling and clever plotting.' - The Sunday Times
'A heart-stopping adventure of the kind that should appeal to fans of Eva Ibbotson and Philip Pullman.' - The New Statesman
'Storytelling at its very best.' - Sophie Anderson
'A lyrical book set in an extraordinary world.' - The Radio Times
'A truly magnificent story.' - Books for Keeps
'An unforgettable adventure.' - The School Librarian
Author
About David Farr
David Farr was born and raised in a small town in Surrey. His father is English and loves nature and his mother is a descendant of German-Jewish grandparents who helped their children escape Germany for England in the Second World War.
David studied English at Cambridge University where he co-founded Cambridge Talking Tongues, a small theatre company, alongside two female friends, including actor Rachel Weisz. They won a Guardian Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1991. He went on to be a theatre director of Bristol Old Vic, London’s Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and Associate Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company. His screenwriting credits include the multi- award-winning The Night Manager,Spooks, Hanna, and the Sky production of The Midwich Cuckoos starring Keeley Hawes. David and the late John le Carré became friends while working on the screen play for The Night Manager.
As an ancestor of those German child refugees who lost everything when they fled, including their German citizenship and identity, David was proud to have campaigned for the Article 116 Exclusion Group against a gender discriminatory loophole in German law and to have recently reclaimed his own German citizenship.
