All her young life, Patch has been shipped off to an ever-decreasing pool of ever-distant relatives. When we first meet her, she’s on her way to Liverpool to live with a family friend, but accidentally ends up aboard the RMS Glorious just as the steamer sets sail for New York. A different kind of girl might take this badly, but Patch is as enterprising and brave as the heroines in her Girls’ Best Friend magazines, and decides she likes being in charge of her own destiny for once.
Too adventurous to stay hidden away, Patch soon comes up with a plan that gives her the run of the ship, and even makes a friend or two along the way. But Patch isn’t the only one with something to hide, and there’s many a surprise to be found above and below deck. Thanks to her unusual upbringing, however, Patch is able to navigate the different class quarters and is as at home in the first class dining saloon as she is in the kitchen galley.
Set in 1910, the novel is packed with interesting details about life aboard ship, and the luxury of the floating palace is an excellent setting for an adventure story. We get a taste of it from Kim Geyer’s wonderful cover illustration, and the detailed map of the “The Glory” helps us follow Patch as she journeys deeper into the bowels of the ship, and into its secrets and mysteries.
With a crew of colourful characters and page-turning peril, the story culminates in a big warm hug of an ending for all involved – except perhaps for a certain family of notorious criminals.
The Accidental Stowaway is the perfect read for budding sleuths…so get your skates on (just one will do) and get onboard this transatlantic adventure!
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