The lantern moon - Maeve Friel

Life is not easy for children in 1811. Annie Spears is a maid at Dinham house where Lucien Bonaparte is on parole. Her brother, William, makes silk top-hats for the mad hatter, while her little sister works as a glove-maker for the despicable Leonard Evans. They have not heard from their father since he was transported to Australia years ago.

When a fire destroys the Spears home and William and Annie are accused of theft, they take to the hills with Sam, the chimney sweep, trying to make their way to the sea. But great danger and deceptions lie ahead .

Maeve Friel was born in Derry and educated in Dublin where she sometimes lives -- when she's not in Spain (or elsewhere; she gets around). She is a well-known Irish children's writer, the creator of the popular Tiger Lily trilogy and the Witch-in-Training series (all books for younger children, published in the UK) and has been the recipient of many awards including the Hennessy Award, the Bisto Award and the Reading Association of Ireland Award for books for older children. Her books have been translated into many languages. She once lived in Ludlow where her children's book, The Lantern Moon, is set.