The Free Show

The Free Show of the title is an auction. The hero Danny Taylor plays truant from school to attend an auction to buy a tailor's dummy for his handicapped, single-parent mother, who takes in home dressmaking to make ends meet. Danny has been deeply embarrassed at having been seen by a school friend, standing on a stool in a bridesmaid's dress so his mother can arrange the hem. Once Danny gets to the auction, he finds himself in an entirely new world peopled with intriguing characters. Some — such as the villain who takes his money but removes the goods — are bad, but there are two good-natured young dealers whom Danny is able to help and befriend, and who repay his help and set him on the right path. Danny's town is very much like Darlington, and the year is 1997.