{"product_id":"the-blackbirds-of-st-giles-hardcover","title":"The Blackbirds of St. Giles - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLila Cain\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the brutal horrors of Jamaican plantations to the teeming streets of 19th century London, through lavish manor houses and across dangerous seas, escaped enslaved siblings survive the American War of Independence and arrive in London to seek their fortune in this page-turning, immersive story of survival, betrayal, secrets, and the quest for true freedom.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOn a terrifying night in 1768, Daniel and his young sister, Pearl, narrowly escape their brutal life of slavery when a Jamaican sugarcane plantation is torched in a violent uprising. In the ashes, Daniel leaves behind the rest of his family--and one powerful love. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMore than a decade later in New York City, Daniel anticipates sailing with Pearl, now 15, to a new life promised by Britain's king to former slaves who fought for the Crown in America's War of Independence. For saving a Major's life in battle, Daniel is doubly rewarded with the man's inheritance, to be claimed on the other side of the ocean. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut a king's promises can be forgotten, and fortunes snatched away by the cruel prejudices of strangers in a new land . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHopeless and homeless, Daniel and Pearl are lured into a dank maze of passageways roiling beneath London's teeming streets, under the famed Covent Garden, and far below the crypts of St. Giles church. A world of unimaginable poverty, where the desperate live as outcasts--the blackbirds of St. Giles. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eReigning over the scene is Elias, a ruthless, violent \"boss\" who sells protection for a price. To shield Pearl, Daniel must literally fight for their survival, stepping into the ring with a monstrous opponent. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDazzling and poignant, \u003ci\u003e The Blackbirds of St. Giles\u003c\/i\u003e propels us into an extraordinary, too long overlooked community and period in history, when the threat of servitude is ever-present, and some ghosts of the past can never be escaped . . .\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLila Cain \u003c\/b\u003eis a pseudonym for the writing duo of Kate Griffin and Marcia Hutchinson. \u003cb\u003eKate Griffin\u003c\/b\u003e won the Faber\/Stylist Magazine competition \u003ci\u003ewith Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders\u003c\/i\u003e and went on to write 3 more books in the series. Her first stand-alone novel, \u003ci\u003eFyneshade\u003c\/i\u003e, is now available. Born to Windrush-era Jamaican parents in Bradford, \u003cb\u003eMarcia Hutchinson \u003c\/b\u003eworked as a lawyer before founding and running the educational publishing company Primary Colours. She was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 496\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.8 x 8.4 x 5.8 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 27, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44378924318822,"sku":"9781496755629","price":36.12,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/7255\/0758\/files\/oYBP6PmMA_9781496755629.webp?v=1768912741","url":"https:\/\/infinitylightwa.com\/products\/the-blackbirds-of-st-giles-hardcover","provider":"Infinity Light","version":"1.0","type":"link"}