My Side of the Story: Trouble at the Mill Junior Novel EUC

My Side of the Story by Philip Wooderson

“My Side of the Story” is completely unique approach to historical fiction. Read the story of one youngster’s life in turbulent times, then flip the book and find out first hand how another child reacts to the same events – with very different feelings and results! “Lizzy”: This work is set in summer 1842. Lizzy Sprott is thirteen, the daughter of a poor cotton worker, she works at the mill with him. Passionate and impulsive she persuades her moderate father to draw up a petition demanding better working conditions. The plan backfires when Lizzy’s father gets blacklisted by mill owner Grumstone. Lizzy thinks everything will be all right as she knows Grumstone’s son – they used to play together when she was younger. But suddenly events escalate and there are violent riots outside the mills. Has Lizzy left everything too late…? “Josh”: Josh Grumstone is the well-to do son of a cotton mill owner. Diffident but thoughtful, he comes back from boarding school to find the mill in crisis. First siding with his father, he later begins to believe the workers have a rightful cause, especially when the hardheaded Grumstone becomes bent on breaking the strike with means fair or foul. And now that his former friend Lizzy is involved he cannot ignore the danger. Danger that costs some people their lives…

Suggested reading age: 8+ years