Sawbones

Story

Sawbones is the story of Ezra, a young apprentice surgeon – or ‘sawbones’ – working in 18^th century London. When his master is killed, he meets Loveday Finch, who is looking for answers about her father’s murder. Together, they must discover what connects the two deaths, and why a mysterious organisation called the Ottoman Embassy may be behind them.

Why we chose it

A gripping historical mystery thriller.

Where it came from

Catherine Johnson is a children’s novelist of Jamaican and Welsh heritage. She was born in London and much of Sawbones is set there. She writes stories with diverse characters in the middle of the action – including Ezra, the protagonist of Sawbones, who is a mixed-race former slave.

Where it went next

Sawbones won the Young Quills Award for best historical fiction for under-12s in 2014, the year after it was published. Johnson also wrote a sequel, Blade and Bone (2016), which takes Ezra and Loveday from London to 18^th century Paris, where the dangerous French Revolution is well underway.

Associated stories

Other novels by Catherine Johnson include Freedom, Race to the Frozen North, The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo and A Nest of Vipers.