Jack Sheppard: A Romance

"Jack Sheppard: A Romance" by William Harrison Ainsworth is a historical tale unfolding in the 1700s that presents the life of Jack Sheppard, a well-known criminal who breaks into houses and escapes from prison, and his encounters with themes of criminality, the dual challenges of being poor and without hope, and what happens when someone lives a life outside the rules. Early on, the tale focuses on Mrs. Sheppard, Jack's mom, who is having a difficult time after her husband was executed. We meet her in a very bad place, trying to take care of herself and her young son while thinking back to how her husband died in disgrace. A kind carpenter named Mr. Wood tries to help her, and they have a conversation about her dead husband and what might happen to her child. This sets the stage for a story that explores problems in society, poverty, and destiny, and it shows how crime affected the lives of people on the edges of society. The suspense grows as the characters hint at a broader network of crime and survival as a result of the difficult realities of life experienced by the poor and unfortunate during this time.