Fly By Night

In the fractured realm, in a damp, backward village named Chough, there lives an unusual 12-year-old girl named Mosca. What makes her so unusual? Well, she has a feisty pet goose named Saracen, but that's not nearly as strange as the fact that she canread. This makes people deeply suspicious of her, as books are known to be extremely dangerous things. Mosca is kept locked-up by her Aunt and Uncle, who don't trust her in the least. But when swindler Eponymous Clent arrives in town looking to bilk the dull townsfolk, Mosca thinks she sees in him a fellow reader. Together, the two flee the town to embark upon an amazing journey across the countryside. Prize-winning storyteller Frances Hardinge makes her debut with this imaginative book for children. An exciting reading from narrator Jill Tanner ensures that every moment of discovery is intoned with enthusiasm and charm."Hardinge's stylish way with prose gives her sprawling debut fantasy a literate yet often silly tone that calls to mind Monty Python."-Publishers Weekly, starred review