I was totally gripped by this thriller by a new author Piu Das Gupta set in late nineteenth century Paris.
The two protagonists Zelie, a Bengali-born housemaid who has been sent to work in Paris by her father Robi, and Jules, a Parisian sewer cleaner working with his father, meet through unusual circumstances and are drawn into a dark, mysterious world of secret societies, murderers, circuses and, of course, sewers. All with the aim of retrieving a cursed stone so that she can be reunited with her father Baba.
All of the characters are brilliantly portrayed, not only through vivid descriptions but also through how they relate and act towards each other. Zelie is frequently accused of being a witch and a thief because of her differently coloured eyes by the family for whom she works, and Jules is more cautious, initially rather reluctant to be drawn into Zelie’s quest. There are many twists and turns throughout this adventure, and some hair-raising moments involving a terrifying secret society, but Zelie and Jules work together to solve the mystery, encountering villains, fortune tellers, acrobats, and many more vibrantly depicted characters along the way. Delightful insertions add to the storytelling: Zelie’s pep talks to herself, the letters between Zelie and her father which tell contrasting stories, Rodolphe her pet pigeon, Jules’ pet snails and of course the baby sloth!
The fast-paced adventure takes the reader from the sewers and catacombs under Paris to secret lairs and a circus full of colourful and exotic characters, and besides the mystery and quest elements which enhance the excitement, also weaves in themes of family, friendship and trust, as well as the important lesson of not judging people by first impressions. It also has moments of humour, such as Zelie discovering the joy of having pockets when she wears Jules’s clothes and the baby sloth finding sanctuary in the airing cupboard. It is also fascinating the way the author has drawn on actual historical figures within the story: the inspiration Zelie draws from the fictional character she enjoys reading about, Count Rodolphe, is from The Mysteries of Paris by Eugene Sue, an actual book as the author points out in her afterword, as are also some of the other historical elements woven in with the fictional.
Though it has a historical setting, this story combines a classic style with contemporary pacing, reminiscent of authors such as Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Katherine Rundell. It would be an ideal book for reading as a class book with KS2 children and also for independent readers 9-11. The main themes are friendship, trust, making the right choice, greed and power. Highly recommended!
