~ finding the right voice ~
The Umbrella Mouse : A heart-stopping tale of courage, friendship, and resistance set against the backdrop of WWII. 1944, London. Young mouse Pip Hanway's world is turned upside down when her home, James Smith & Sons umbrella shop, is destroyed by a bomb. Orphaned and alone, she must begin a perilous quest to find a new home. Her only hope lies in joining Noah's Ark, a secret gang of animals fighting with the French Resistance, operating beneath the feet of human soldiers. As the enemy closes in, Pip must risk everything to save her new friends. Beautifully illustrated by Sam Usher, The Umbrella Mouse takes readers on an incredible journey through a war that reaches even the smallest of creatures. Winner of the 2019 Sainsbury's Book Prize for Fiction and a Waterstones Book of the Month, Fargher's debut novel draws on the true stories of animals caught in the conflict of WWII. 'An ambitious and wonderfully well-achieved first novel. ' - Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse 'A spellbinding tale of bravery and hope, where courage is found in the smallest of heroes. ' - Gill Lewis, author of Sky Hawk