Fetch Hell And High Water Constructed By Tanya Landman Presented As Manuscript

was . . a surprisingly great read!

The blurb at the back first attracted my attention, but the beginning of the book kinda lost it, . . but as the story progressed, it definitely gained back some excitement!

What happened to Caleb's father was awful, and my heart just weeps for his fate! Caleb's father was a great man, and had such an admirable talent as a maestro of his puppet show.


Like any good mystery novel, Caleb went through all sorts of trouble to try and "solve" his father's murder, . . although I guess in this case, . . it's to restore his father's name, It was both touching and endearing to watch as Caleb grew from a scrawny, insecure boy to a mostly capable man with quick wits,

The characters in this book were all distinct, too! I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how each character played his or her part in the novel yes, even the villains!, about all the decisions they had to make, the revelations and the failures.


Anyways . overall, definitely a good read!solid!
Now, to convince my sister to read this, A sparkling book.
sitelink varshaseshan. com/helland I thought this was a well done mystery that was not too easy to predict and had interesting characters to follow along, Sometimes it got a bit repetitive and used the same adjuctives over and over, but I still enjoyed the story part of it, Excellent sense of places England, how they deal with a black person such as with constant comments about him needing to be sheared, and the ultimate power of the rich over the poor.
Caleb and Letty are great characters, as they try and discover what happened to Caleb's father, what the town's landlord is up to, and once they find out the truth, who they can tell that would actually do something about it.
This is the best explanation for the popularity of Punch and Judy humor, too, I'd give this/stars: it was realistic historical fiction from a unique point of view, Caleb is a biracial teen inth c England facing constant racism, His white father is a Punch and Judy performer and the two of them travel the countryside, making what little living they can, But when Caleb's father is framed for theft, he is sentenced to death or transport to America and Caleb must find his aunt to make a new life.
What he finds is the truth about his family and his rightful place in the world,

Racism, class struggles, andth c life are all vividly described in this enjoyable adventure story, I liked this story. The cover of the book I had was way prettier than this one, It is ombre colored waves with the title in white cursive writing on the front, I gave this an/because it felt like that kind of book for me, I liked the twist of Anne being Caleb's mother because I truly didn't see it coming, This book deserve a good/stars, A thoughtful, historical adventure England in thes with interesting characters, I had a difficult time putting this down, Caleb is a black boy, son of a white father, back in the time when slavery was still legal in Britain, Together they travel the country with a Punch and Judy show, and we get much of that in flashbacks because right at the beginning of the book Caleb's father gets caught holding a purse of coins that a thief dropped.
Instant arrest, almost instant trial and sentence to death! A helpful bishop manages to commute that to transportation, which gives hope, but Caleb is set to finding his aunt who he had never before known existed and the adventures begin.


The first half of this story is one of confusion, of uncovering inconsistencies, of dealing with prejudice of course!, and of finding a way to live in a hostile world.
The second half is full of action as Caleb seeks a way to right the wrongs done to his father,

An excellent children's historical novel, Didn't expect this book to be such a riveting read, Ms. Landman handles all her characters sensitively, You can see them in your mind's eye,
This is definitely an unputdownable one for me! A thrilling mystery adventure based on an actual event, Itsin England and its just Caleb and his dad travelling the country with their outrageous Punch and Judy puppet show to make ends meet.


Caleb is used to the stares and comments he gets from strangers that call him a “darkie” or say his hair is as “woolly as a sheep.
” Caleb knows he doesnt share his dads pale skin nor his dads outgoing personality which makes him a natural for show business,

Then one day his dad ends up in jail for a theft he didnt commit, Even though the penalty for stealing is death, the Bishops intervention results in Calebs dad being sent to the colonies for seven years,

Calebs dad tells him to go find an aunt he never knew about and says, “I will find you again, my boy, come hell or high water!”

So Caleb takes a dangerous journey on foot to find his aunt and ends up in a poor town called Fishpool on the edge of the sea.
There he meets his Aunt Anne for the first time and her stepdaughter, Letty, who despises him on sightmainly because shes never seen his coloring before.


Anne and Letty are scrambling to earn rent money since Annes husband, Edward, is out at sea for the local nobleman, Sir Robert Fairbrother.
The two work in the house sewing for others and washing the laundry of the sailors who come to port,

Luckily, Caleb has better sewing stitches than Lettythanks to helping his dad create the costumes for the Punch and Judy puppetsso he quickly becomes Annes assistant and they are able to make more money by completing more sewing and laundry work.


One day while gathering firewood on the beach, Caleb spies a bloated dead body that is wearing his dads unique signet ring, but later the parson and Sir Fairbrother deny that the body is his dads and that there was ever a ring on his body.


Letty agrees with Caleb that the parson is lying and two unite in the cause to find out the truth and undertake dangerous actions to solve this mystery.
They need to tread carefully because Sir Fairbrother owns all their land so they could end up homeless or worse,

Modern issues of justice, race, corruption, and greed drive this captivating historical fiction story thats based on the real sinking of the ship Nightingale in.

Historical Fiction, Mystery
Compelling, diverse characters and interesting smuggling intrigue and murder with subplot of puppetry that is entertaining and fascinating to read.

For as long as he can remember fifteen year old Caleb has been traveling southern England with his father helping him entertain people with Punch and Judy shows in order to make a living.
This life comes to an abrupt halt when Calebs father is falsely accused of theft and sentenced to be transported to the American colonies, Before they are separated, Calebs father tells him how to find his Aunt Anne who will help him, With no other options, Caleb follows his fathers directions and eventually finds his aunt who is living in Fishpool, a seafaring town on the coast.
Annes husband is a sailor who is out at sea when Caleb arrives, She and her step daughter Letty earn money by taking on sewing projects, The people of Fishpool are immediately suspicious of Caleb because he is biracial, but his aunt welcomes him into her home, Caleb is beginning to settle into his new life when he makes a shocking discovery that makes him question what really happened to his father.


Hell and High Water is an exciting mix of historical fiction, mystery and adventure, Caleb and Letty are both fully fleshed out characters whose struggles will be relatable to teen readers, Both have lost parents and been forced to take on responsibilities before they are completely ready, In a time when the roles of men and women were very clearly defined, Lettys skills as a sailor and Calebs talent with a needle and thread are not socially acceptable.
Though the two dont like or trust each other in the beginning, they eventually find common ground in solving the mystery of what happened to Calebs father and how the ship that Lettys father was working on may have been involved.
The big bad in the novel is the wealthy landowner Sir Robert Fairbrother who basically owns the entire town and many of the ships that go in and out of its port.
His involvement in the fates of both Caleb and Lettys fathers is undeniable, but can they find the information they need to prove it Though the book is set in, themes of exploitation by the rich, corruption, racism, and an unethical criminal justice system will not be unfamiliar to contemporary readers.
This is a worthy addition to teen collections but may require hand selling due to the historical setting, Synopsis

In a wicked world, can an honest man survive


, Devon. England.

When his father is arrested and transported to the Colonies, Caleb is left alone, After a desperate journey in search of an aunt he's never met he receives a strange, cold welcome,

Then a body washes up on the nearby beach and Caleb is caught up in a terrifying net of lies and intrigue, Soon he and his new family are in mortal danger,





by Rhian Ivory
I read Buffalo Solider on holiday this summer once Id got it back off my husband and found myself talking about it, in fact I couldnt shut up about it.
My mum ordered it the next day and had finished it by the weekend and the one thing we all kept coming back to was THAT VOICE.
Tanya Landman writes with such conviction that it feels

as if someone is sitting next to you whispering their story into your ear so when Hell and High Water landed on my door mat I was excited but also nervous.
Would I have the same intimate reading experience with this book as Id had with Buffalo Solider Surely she couldnt pull it off again and would I really care as much about Caleb in Hell and High Water as I did about Charlie in Buffalo Solider Reader, she did pull it off and I cared just as much, let me tell you why.


The opening scene features a Punch and Judy show which is described in such detail you feel as if you are part of the audience, watching the show build with the same sense of anticipation as the crowd.
It is clear that Landman has seen a show or two in her time because she evokes the scene in a skilful and detailed manner.
But this isnt to be a straightforward story about a father and son touring the county, polishing their puppets and handing around the cap for coins because disaster soon strikes when Calebs father is wrongly accused of theft.
Caleb is left alone in the world without his guide, his best friend and his companion to not only show him the ropes of the trade but also take care of him in a world which is prejudiced against a boy of mixed race.



Caleb knows of one person who may help him, his fathers sister who is a maid in North Devon, Caleb is forced to find his way alone to his aunts house, knock at her door and place himself in a vulnerable position, His character is the backbone of the book and the reader is with him every step of the way as he fights injustice, mistrust and judgement all based on the colour of his skin.
He tries his best to find work locally but isnt given much of chance, Landman plays with gender and convention cleverly by giving Caleb the traditionally viewed feminine skills of a seamstress and Lettie his aunts stepdaughter the more masculine traits of a seaman.
Together they make the perfect pair but get off to quite a bad start,


What stayed with me long after I finished the novel is the burning sense of injustice, the lack of equality for Caleb and Lettie and the class system is once again examined under Landmans microscopic lens exposing the differences between the rich and the poor, the corruption that power can bring and the lack of agency Caleb and Lettie suffer from.



But happily theres hope, phew! The hope comes from Caleb and Lettys strength of character, intelligence, bravery and overriding sense of justice all neatly tied up in a tender and delicate love story binding the themes together throughout this fast and furious tale of adventure on the high seas.
s England. MC Caleb ''s quest to restore his father's reputation is filled with danger and corruption, He is worthy of our esteem, as he refuses to bow down to those who hold power and then abuse it for their own purposes and greed.


I was totally engaged, and didn't want to put it down, When I first was given it as part of a mystery book bundle, I was unsure whether I would enjoy it,
However after picking up thinking I'll attempt it, I was suprise to be really stuck into the story line,
As with most children's books some of the plot was obvious, but was written so well to capture the soul of each character to make you enthralled into the story line.
wow so intriguingly Brilliant The writing was that of a wattpad story, I couldn't identify with the characters at all, The plot in itself was good and interesting but wasn't done well, I was confused about what Calebs personality was, he was shy yet outspoken, it felt like the author hadn't decided what personality she wanted for him.
The author needs to get a good lesson of "Show don't tell" and "How human emotions work", Obviously, the boy an the girl end up together at the end with no romantic chemistry beforehand because they're the opposite gender, Maybe it's because of my personal high standards when it comes to books, but I just didn't enjoy this at all, if you also consider yourself to have a high standard of books, don't read this one, its a waste of time.
Please don't take this as an insult, it's just my personal opinion, Caleb and his dad travel through the streets of old London making a living doing Punch and Judy puppet shows for coins from the crowd.
His life is a good one until the day his dad is taken for a thief and sent to a penal colony in Australia, Caleb is told to find the aunt he never knew in a small town along the coast where he is taken in and slowly becomes one of the family.
The villagers don't trust Caleb's dark skin or the fact that his dad is a convict and trouble and danger only continue when a dead man is washed up on the beach and a greater coverup is unearthed.
Good character development mixed with a great adventure makes this historical fiction that will appeal to kids and adults, .