Publisher: Ebury Publishing
Release date: 8 February 2018
Release date: 8 February 2018
Back cover blurb: Do you remember when you believed in magic? It is 1917, and while war wages across Europe, in the heart of London, there is a place of hope and enchantment. The Emporium sells toys that capture the imagination of children and adults alike: patchwork dogs that seem alive, toy boxes that are bigger on the inside, soldiers that can fight battles of their own. Into this family business comes young Cathy Wray, running away from a shameful past. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own. But Cathy is about to discover that the Emporium has secrets of its own…
When Cathy Wray runs from her family, after seeing an advert in the newspaper for helpers at Papa Jack's emporium, she is scared but cautiously optimistic for the future.
The advert that entices her would be intriguing to most:
Help Wanted: Are you lost? Are you afraid? Are you a child at heart? So are we...
The emporium is a magical toy store which opens with the first frost of winter and closes with the flowering of the first snowdrops. At the heart of the emporium is owner Jekabs Godman (Papa Jack).
Papa Jack along with his sons, Emil and Kaspar make wonderful toys, with more than just a touch of magic; toy soliders that seem to have their own personality and can seemingly fight battles on their own, Patchwork dogs and other animals that seem to be alive, and toy boxes that are bigger on the inside than on the outside.
Cathy has never worked in any sort of shop at all, much less a wonderful shop with a fascinating and brilliant reputation as London’s ‘premier merchant of toys and childhood paraphernalia’. Papa Jack takes a chance on Cathy when she turns up unwittingly one opening night, their busiest of the year.
She expects only to stay for one ‘season’ but the magic of the store captures Cathy’s heart at a time when she is at her most desperate. Her life is turned upside down by the emporium but that’s really all I can say without giving anymore away.
The Toymakers is a magical novel that will truly capture your imagination and really does has something for everyone.
The Toymakers is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.
Thank You to the publishers who sent me an advanced proof copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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