The Starspun Web
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy comes a thrilling adventure about a brave girl who finds a portal to parallel worlds, and must protect her secret from the evil forces trying to capture it.
All her life, Tess has lived at Miss Ackerbee's orphanage with her friends and her pet tarantula, Violet. But one day, a mysterious man named Mr. Cleat shows up and whisks Tess away to live with him. Before Tess leaves, Miss Ackerbee gives her a strange lens, and makes an even stranger admission: that Tess can travel to parallel worlds, and has been able to do so since she was found as a baby. Now, with her newfound abilities and the mysterious lens in tow, Tess must navigate life with Mr. Cleat and his nefarious housekeeper, who seem to be up to more than they let on. As Tess learns about the lens and its role in transporting her to other worlds, she discovers that behind Mr. Cleat's oily smiles is a darker intention: one that could bring the world to its feet. Can Tess keep her secret from Mr. Cleat, and figure out what he's up to? And what if the lens falls into the wrong hands? With the help of Violet and her friends from the orphanage, Tess can finally discover the truth about Mr. Cleat and, more importantly, herself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1941, the sophomore novel from O'Hart (The Eye of the North) blends alternate realities with history in a sophisticated examination of passion, family, and purpose. Tess de Sousa, 12, is a resident at Ackerbee's Home for Lost and Foundlings, nestled in a town analogous to Dublin. Her guardians, Miss Ackerbee and Miss Whipstead, encourage her passions for science and experimentation, and she's surrounded by friends, including her pet tarantula. But then, Mr. Norton F. Cleat arrives and claims to be her only living relative. Before Tess departs to his home, Roedeer Lodge, Miss Ackerbee gives Tess a small device, thought to enable travel between realities. Two things make Tess's exile to the lodge bearable: her work with the device and her fervent commitment to return home to her family at Miss Ackerbee's. O'Hart's ambitious novel becomes somewhat muddled as it zooms through alternate realities and tangled plot threads. But the complex thematic elements, including war, help to anchor this compelling story of love and survival against the odds. Ages 8 12.