Prentice Hugh

"Prentice Hugh" by Frances Mary Peard is a historical fiction story taking place in the late 1200s about a brave youth named Hugh Bassett, who deals with hardships during a fair in Stourbridge as he dreams of being a soldier. The novel studies courage, friendship, and social hierarchy in medieval England when courageous Hugh defends a monkey from bullies. Following the ordeal, Hugh meets a Franciscan friar and an older boy named Edgar who are intrigued by his bravery. As the tale unfolds the reader learns about Hugh's family: his deceased mother and his father, Stephen Bassett, a wood-carver who hopes to make a better life for his son. Transitioning from a lively fair to the privacy of their home life, the reader learns of their hopes and fears, which sets the stage for the journey to Exeter pursuing new chances, while also immersing the reader in a vivid historical setting.