The Past is Ever Present

By P J Panckhurst

Set in 18th century England, this novel tells of the life of Thomas Puckle, who at 12 years of age is left an orphan after the death of his parents. Armed with nothing but his wits, he is forced to leave the village of Athelney to make a new life for himself. Adventures follow Thomas as he finds himself embroiled with the scurrilous Marty Dewson. Attempted murder, smuggling, highway robbery, and an encounter with gypsies all take their turn in this cleverly researched and fast-moving tale of love, loss, and loyalty. Exciting until the end, the story portrays the lives of hard-working English folk in a society where the gentry ruled and breaches of the law by the poor were punished harshly. The story spans sixteen years of Thomas's life from 1779 until 1795. We see Thomas develop from an immature frightened young boy to a confident man, suffering adversity, but always moving onwards with honesty, good humor, and determination.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1499753756
• ISBN13: 9781499753752
• Release Date: August 2014
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 282 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"