The Wool-Pack

Story

The Wool-pack tells the story of 12-year-old Nicholas Fetterlock, the son of a rich wool merchant in Burford in 1493, who uncovers a plot to ruin his father. Nicholas is helped by Cecily Bradshaw, the daughter of a rich cloth merchant to whom he is betrothed and between them they uncover a web of intrigue within the powerful Guild that controls the wool trade.

Why we chose it

The Wool-pack is set in the Cotswolds and Nicholas lives in the Cotswold town of Burford in West Oxfordshire. Nicholas' story provides a rich historical context for life in medieval England and in particular the wealth and power exerted by those involved in the Wool trade which can still be seen today in the churches and manor houses of the Cotswolds.

Where it came from

Harnett's characters are often facing the transition from childhood to adulthood (albeit at an earlier age in Medieval England) and she uses a rich background of historical detail, set in real places, to frame their dilemmas and challenges. Her interest lies in the social and economic life rather than big historical events.

The book is also illustrated by Harnett with line drawings showing scenes from English medieval life. Her illustrative style is also very reminiscent of the children's non-fiction series by Marjorie and C.H.B. Quennell A History of Everyday Things in England first published in 1918.

Where it went next

The book won wide acclaim when it was published, winning the prestigious Carnegie Medal in 1951.

Harnett herself hoped that her books would inspire children to find out more about the places and objects that inspired the stories, providing information at the back of her books about which characters and settings were fact and which were fiction, as well as information about Museums in which to find objects illustrated in the stories. Harnett's books are currently out of print.

Associated stories

Cynthia Harnett is best known for her six historical children's novels. Like The Wool-pack, three more of these stories were also set in the fifteenth century: Ring Out Bow Bells (set in London in 1415), The Writing on the Hearth (set in 1430) and The Load of Unicorn (set in London in 1482).