Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

Young Nan follows a sweep around the London area, helping him clean chimneys and resting on roofs at night. One morning, she wakes up and finds that the sweep has gone. All she has left of him is a rock, a small ember of warmth that she carries everywhere.

After waiting and searching, she joins the crew of another sweep. Crudd is not a kind sweep, but rather a monster of a boss who controls the lives of several children, most under the age of ten, who sweep chimneys each day and curl up lost and lonely each night. When Nan awakes, unharmed, after a chimney fire, she meets her golem, a gift from the original sweep, who helps her to build a new life, so different from what she expected.

An eye-opening testimony to the hardships of children from a bygone era, this is a beautiful story that explores friendship, first love, family, and loyalty. Being based on the lives of chimney sweeps in London during the 1870s, it will shatter the misconception that all sweeps were like those in Mary Poppins. Nan is a sweet, patient girl and her golem is a great friend in a world that doesn’t believe in such things. So, so sweet.