Inspired by true events, Munnik's dazzling historical novel of ballooning and flight at the close of the nineteenth century finds two girls inextricably entwined at Cardiff's Great Exhibition.
Waterstones Welsh Book of the Month for April 2023
Paris, 1891 Laura is living on the streets, far from the American Prairies where she was born. When rescued by the entrancing aerialists, Ena and Auguste Gaudron, she soon finds herself ensconced in the family hot air balloon business, and offered the chance to learn how to fly.
Cardiff, 1896 The Gaudrons accept an invitation to be part of the Cardiff Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition, presenting a daring show of balloon ascents and parachute descents.
Then late one night, a young girl, Grace, knocks on the Gaudrons' door. She is desperate to fly, whatever the cost.
As Grace's dreams begin to take wing, can Laura be the one to keep her grounded? Or will both girls risk it all for one dazzling moment of flight?
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008473235
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 260 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 28 mm
‘A heady and stylish read that had me swept away from the first page. Munnik has captured a fascinating world of daring with both beauty and heart’ MAHSUDA SNAITH ‘Vivid and meticulous, Katie Munnik’s The Aerialists captures the tangled desires of people living on the thin air of their own daring – a glorious vision of a time, a place, a welter of human manipulations and hopes, and ultimately, their tragic effects. A really fine read’ JOAN BARFOOT ‘Based on a true story, this rich novel will capture your imagination’ BEST magazine ‘Munnik movingly conveys the fragility of the real Louisa’s life and afterlife’ Historical Novel Society ‘Exquisite’ Woman’s Own
"The Aerialists" by Katie Munnik is a different type of historical novel to me, about a real life tragedy that happened at the Great Exhibition in Cardiff in 1896. The characters are engaging - I was... More
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have been recommending it to many others.
Living in Cardiff, it was an intriguing look into the history of the city - some of the sites still exist.
The writing is beautifully...
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