Celebrating Guy Fawkes Night
In America, Nov. 5th is just another day. That’s why I was partway through this book before realizing it was about the events leading up to what the British celebrate with bonfires. To be fair, though, Guy Fawkes is a secondary character who rarely appears.
Set in the London of 1605, at the beginning of James I’s reign, the story centers on Francis Quoynt, his father “Boomer” and Kate Peach, his former lover. Quoynt, a fifth generation ‘firemaster’ (or explosive expert) has returned from soldiering on the Continent. After a mysterious warehouse explosion, Quoynt is hired by Robert Cecil, the Secretary of State, to look into it and other suspicious activities. In doing so, he infiltrates a group that includes Fawkes and reluctantly agrees to make 40 barrels of gun powder for them.
In an atmosphere of religious persecution, where simply wearing a crucifix can get a person arrested, there’s a lot of suspense in this novel, especially since all is not as it seems. The story shifts from Kate to Quoynt and back again as the lovers reconnect and drift apart. Instead of ending the book with Fawkes plot thwarted and arrests made, Quoynt wanders aimlessly around London trying to hear news of the culprits, before returning home to a surprising conclusion.
It was a satisfying mystery and I found the historical aspects realistic. Though there was some famous characters such as Sir Francis Bacon, it concentrated on the ordinary people. The details of gun powder making and a fireworks display was fascinating, the book is well worth reading for those descriptions alone. So if you appreciate a good suspense novel or intriguing historical fiction, pull this one off the shelf.
Harper 2008 544 pp. ISBN 970-0-06-156826
This sounds great, Jackie – I was going to say “explosive” but thought better of it!
Axxx
Sounds like the perfect read for a stormy autumn evening. Thanks for the timely review, Jackie.
My wife, who is also American, has been reading a timely book recently: Antonia Fraser’s ‘The Gunpowder Plot.’ Apparently, Guy Fawkes changed his name to Guido Fawkes at one stage. That’s my random fact of the day!!
This sounds a great atmospheric book – puts me right in the mood for some fireworks on Saturday.
Hmmm, we Americans seem to have a fascination with the whole Guy Fawkes incident. Wonder if it’s because we haven’t anything comparable in our history? We have fireworks for Independence Day on July 4th, but that also includes picnics & family gatherings, it’s not a day celebrating vengeance & conspiracies.
Jackie, we don’t need days to celebrate conspiracy theories and vengeance! We have the Fox television network! (Sorry, Tuesday was election day over here.)
I’m putting this one on my Christmas list. The “good suspense novel or intriguing historical fiction” rec is good enough for me.
“Apparently, Guy Fawkes changed his name to Guido Fawkes at one stage.”
Indeed he did – fighting with the Spanish against the Dutch in Flanders.
Guy Fawkes night is a conundrum, isn’t it? In Lewes, where celebrations also commemorate the burning of 17 Protestant martyrs, effigies of the Pope are traditionally burned alongside the Guy with alarming gusto – which can make for slightly uncomfortable viewing..!
I only wish I could have got hold of this in time for a read last night!