The Great Revolt

 

The Great Revolt is set in England in 1381, the year in which The Peasants’ Revolt occurred.The novel tells the story of Tilda, a peasant, and Guy, a young scribe to King Richard II. Richard II has just imposed a new tax. Tilda and her father are already struggling to survive in a world where they aren’t paid for their work and these taxes don’t help. This new tax causes the peasants from all over the country to rebel.

Tilda herself desires a more interesting life than what her village has to offer, and when the villagers journey to London to protest, she thinks this is the perfect opportunity to obtain this. Tilda looks forward to a change of life, but what she and her father had expected to be a peaceful protest turns out to be quite the opposite.

I enjoyed this book and I thought both of the main characters were well developed. I liked hearing the two different perspectives. I loved learning about a new historical period that I knew nothing about before reading this book. I think that young adults curious about history will love it.

Rebecca Downey, teen reviewer