Why a Booktrail?
1667: the story of diarist Samuel Pepys’ London told through the eyes of his maid.
Pleasing Mr Pepys
What you need to know before your trail
Deb Willet is desperate to escape her domineering aunt and takes a position as companion to Elisabeth Pepys, Samuel’s wife. Deb believes it will give her the respectability and freedom she craves – but it proves far more complicated than she could ever have imagined.
London is still in ruins from the Great Fire. Although Charles II has been restored to the throne, there is the prospect of war with the Dutch – the world’s great sea power of the era. In the midst of this tumult strides Samuel Pepys, diarist and man of note.
Pepys’ influence in Restoration London means that the Dutch are keen to get their hands on his secrets – even if that means murder, espionage and blackmail to get them. Deb is soon caught up in a web of deception and double-dealing. And with Mr Pepys’ attentions turned towards her, there’s a lot more than treason at stake…
Selling other people’s secrets is a dangerous game…
Travel Guide
Discover the London of Samuel Pepys
The author says in her author note that the diary of Samuel Pepys fascinated her and that she was keen to write about the ‘shadowy females that Pepys mentions only in passing.’
The detailed private diary that Pepys kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century and is a vitally important account of the English Restoration period. He gives an insight and some fascinating detail on events such as the Great Plague of London, the Second Dutch War, and the Great Fire of London.
Deb Wilet is a real person but the author has taken her role as a unlettered maid and explored the fact she was well educated as her mistress. The fact she had been to school was one of the reasons she was chosen as a companion for Elisabeth.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Pleasing Mr Pepys
Destination/location: London Author/guide: Deborah Swift Departure Time: 1667
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