First published 1841
Nell Trent lives in her grandfather's curiosity shop in London, surrounded by dusty artifacts and mounting financial desperation. When her grandfather falls into massive gambling debt, a ruthless dwarf named Quilp begins to circle their property like a predator, determined to seize everything they own. Forced to flee their home, Nell and her elderly grandfather become wandering vagrants, traveling through the harsh English countryside and facing starvation, exposure, and constant pursuit. Their only protection is each other and the slim hope of finding sanctuary before Quilp destroys them completely. A child's courage becomes their last defense against a world of crushing poverty and merciless opportunism.
Genres: fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, pursuit
Setting: London
Period: 19th-Century
576 pages · Paperback · Wordsworth Editions Ltd