Mosquito Mansion and my Misadventures in Mudland

“Mudland is certainly strange, but so strong has been its influence on me that if I had not gone there I would certainly be someone else. For as they say in the strange land of mud, ‘A boy doesn’t know his name till he goes on the road.’ Well, I’ve been on the road and I know my own name and I am no longer a boy.”

Set in Demerara, on the Caribbean coast of South America, Alexander Drabb is a 12-year-old reluctant hero who prefers to go by the name of Sandy. Believing that he has been sent to the strange land of mud to help run the Mosquito Mansion sugar plantation, he is shocked to find that he is not wanted there. Seeking comfort in the friendship of a young slave girl Quaneva, Sandy soon finds himself caught in the centre of a slave rebellion. It’s not long before his Uncle George (also known as Spoonbill because of his nose) sends Sandy off on a bush expedition with the local military to capture runaway slaves.

On his return as a reluctant hero and during the celebration of the expedition’s success, Sandy and Quaneva unintentionally end up escaping together during the confused outbreak of the slave rebellion. They are swept upriver in a canoe and embark on daring adventures, hunting and partying with the Indians. However, upon returning to the plantation, the youngsters discover that Quaneva’s father has been killed. As Quaneva puts herself on trial out of guilt, Sandy quickly realises who masterminded the rebellion and is forced to face his divided loyalties and decide who he should betray...

Aimed at children aged 12 and over, Mosquito Mansion and my Misadventures in Mudland is a compelling, original children’s novel that will appeal to young fans of historical fiction.

After leaving school at the age of fifteen, Christopher Hedgethorne has been employed in many different sectors, including working as a sign writer, factory worker, door-to-door potato salesman, monkey minder, theatre director and playwright, all with varying degrees of success.