Book Review of "Master Cornhill" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Book Review of “Master Cornhill” by Eloise Jarvis McGraw.

This novel abounds with vivid descriptions of life and people in the times just after the great plague in London as seen through the eyes of young Michael Cornhill, a lad of eleven. Michael is an orphan. He has no family and has no home to stay at, but Michael’s innocent and trusting ways will soon earn him friends, and more than one temporary home. But will he ever find a place to permanently call his own? When the great ravaging fire of 1666 sweeps through London, this possibility seems doubtful.

I absolutely love the writings of Eloise Jarvis McGraw. All of her historical fiction novels are full of authentic details, almost as if she herself once lived through the historical periods she describes. “Master Cornhill” is no exception. Using her incredible talent of bringing people and places to life, McGraw creates a host of characters that you will never forget.

Story Starter Ideas

• Choose a person you know or a place you enjoy being at and describe it in such a way that someone reading it feels almost as if he or she knows the person you are speaking of, or has been to the place you are describing.
•  Choose a significant moment in history, research it, and describe it through the eyes of a fictional character. Slip in authentic facts about the times in such a way that readers feel as if you are so familiar with that time you must have lived through it yourself.