Jane Anger

'I devoured this book! Jane Anger is a voice that must be heard, and in Rosanna Pike's capable hands, she sings' Bonnie Garmus, author of Peck and Peck 
 
'A gloriously sharp and wonderfully witty novel about the power of the written word - and a woman finding her voice. Rosanna Pike has crafted a heroine for the ages. I loved it' Emilia Hart, author of The Sirens 
 
'Historical fiction at its most sharp and lively. Filled with seething anger and scathing wit, this novel enrages, surprises, and entertains' Emma Van Straaten, author of This Immaculate Body 
 
'Jane Anger is sure to light a fire in you; it crackles with wit, passion, and the fiercest flame of all: hope. I loved it' Jessie Elland, author of The Ladie Upstairs 
 
1589: A woman may be on the throne of England, but in the burgeoning pamphlet-printing business it is men who own the narrative. And the narrative tells a familiar story against women: of original sin and corruption, of temptresses and witches, of the risky folly of indulging an outspoken wife. 
 
Kit Straker, trapped in a marriage to a man whose ego is as large as his belly is wide, can only suffer in silence as the pamphlets of Francis Straker, decrying the weakness and sinfulness of the fairer sex gather a growing following in the city. 
 
But when she meets Will, an apprentice printer, and Winifred, a prostitute who has carved out her own kind of freedom among the stews of Southwark, they give her the courage to secretly defy her husband and spread her own, very different message. Soon London is in thrall to the battle of wits between 'Jane Anger' and Francis Straker, and the women of the city are asking questions they have never dared utter before. 
 
But as the net closes in around her and those she loves are dragged deeper into danger, Kit must choose between staying silent or gambling all on the power of words.

I devoured this book! Jane Anger is a voice that must be heard, and in Rosanna Pike's capable hands, she sings

I loved this vivid, sparkling depiction of a woman’s desire to have the last word. Rosanna Pike’s mastery of voice is undimmed in her second novel; characters leap from the pages, as do the sights, stenches and sensations of Elizabethan London. It is historical fiction at its most sharp and lively. Filled with seething anger and scathing wit, this novel enrages, surprises, and entertains

Emma Van Straaten, author of This Immaculate Body

A gloriously sharp and wonderfully witty novel about the power of the written word - and a woman finding her voice. Rosanna Pike has crafted a heroine for the ages. I loved it

Pike’s voice is easily my favourite in historical fiction. A glorious novel full of heart and humour, Pike has succeeded magnificently at creating a cast of characters just as memorable as those populating A Little Trickerie. Jane Anger is sure to light a fire in you; it crackles with wit, passion, and the fiercest flame of all: hope. I loved it

Jessie Elland, author of The Ladie Upstairs

Praise for A Little Trickerie 
 
Striking, darkly funny and heartfelt … Grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go

Ferdia Lennon, author of Glorious Exploits

A wonderful, spirited, really fresh-feeling historical novel ... Punchy and funny and original and heartbreaking all at once

Rosanna Pike studied English literature at Exeter University. She is a graduate of Curtis Brown Creative and the Faber Academy. She lives in south-west London with her family. Her first novel, A Little Trickerie, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, longlisted for the Women's Prize and won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize in 2025.

1589: A woman may be on the throne of England, but in the burgeoning pamphlet-printing business it is men who own the narrative. And the narrative tells a familiar story against women: of original sin and corruption, of temptresses and witches, of the risky folly of indulging an outspoken wife. 
 
Kit Straker, trapped in a marriage to a man whose ego is as large as his belly is wide, can only suffer in silence as the pamphlets of Francis Straker, decrying the weakness and sinfulness of the fairer sex gather a growing following in the city. 
 
But when she meets Will, an apprentice printer, and Winifred, a prostitute who has carved out her own kind of freedom among the stews of Southwark, they give her the courage to secretly defy her husband and spread her own, very different message. Soon London is in thrall to the battle of wits between 'Jane Anger' and Francis Straker, and the women of the city are asking questions they have never dared utter before. 
 
But as the net closes in around her and those she loves are dragged deeper into danger, Kit must choose between staying silent or gambling all on the power of words.

Rosanna Pike

Crisp, transportive, uplifting. The fresh, irreverent voice of Tibb Ingleby is sheer brilliance. I loved it!

Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

Striking, darkly funny and heartfelt, Tibb’s tale of trickery and friendship in a vividly conjured Tudor England grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go

A bold, funny and imaginative journey through Tudor England in the excellent company of a foul-mouthed would-be angel called Tibb. A brilliantly original debut with a brave and insightful heroine, A Little Trickerie is a real treat - and Rosanna Pike a real talent.

Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre

Rosanna Pike is a bright and bold new voice in historical fiction and has created a heart-catching character in bad girl trickster, Tibb

I absolutely LOVED Rosanna Pike's A Little Trickerie, a wonderful, spirited, really fresh-feeling historical novel ... Punchy and funny and original and heartbreaking all at once 
... Very unexpected and original ... Absolutely raucous and vividly alive

'[Written] with great panache ... It’s nice to come across a voice so singular and characterful ... A book [that] is unapologetically itself ... A Little Trickerie is lovable, fun and emotionally juicy

A Little Trickerie has a big heart, a subversive wit, and the most lovable protagonist I've come across in years. It's funny, linguistically inventive, and angry about all the right things, dealing deftly with a slew of serious issues—class, homophobia, homelessness, religious faith. I tore through it and enjoyed every page. A thrilling, joyous, intoxicating debut

A boisterous vagabond with an audacious plan ... Great fun to read

inews, The best new books to read in August

I defy you to resist the raw energy and subversive humour of this Tudor picaresque novel narrated by foul-mouthed, big-hearted Tibb ... evoking a Tudor England a far cry from the usual image of courtly banquets

'A little trickerie' is what you need to survive in Tudor England ... Pike brings together a loveable, diverse cast'

From the very first page, we’re plunged into the wild, wonderfully realised life of sweary, sweet-natured vagabond Tibb Ingleby ... A tale of cheeky chicanery and heartfelt hopefulness

Pike takes this wonderful historical seed and uses it to grow an appealing work of fiction

It has completely captured my heart and blown me away . . . truly, truly remarkable. It’s so moving; it’s sad on one page and then it will make you laugh out loud the next and Tibb is one of those characters that you are going to remember for the rest of your life

Rosanna Pike absolutely nails Tibb’s voice, and this is a joyful and highly original debut

Idiosyncratic, wildly original and utterly endearing

Times – The 10 best historical fiction books of 2024

Born a vagabond, Tibb Ingleby has never had a roof of her own. Her mother has taught her that if you’re not too bound by the Big Man’s rules, there are many ways a woman can find shelter in this world. But now her ma is gone. 
 
As she journeys through the fields and forests of medieval England, Tibb discovers that there are people who will care for her, as well as those who mean her harm. And there are a great many others who are prepared to believe just about anything… 
 
So, when the opportunity presents itself to escape the shackles society has placed on them, Tibb and her new friends conjure an audacious plan: her greatest trickerie yet. But before they know it, their hoax takes on a life of its own, drawing crowds - and vengeful enemies - to their door.

Rosanna Pike

Books by Rosanna Pike

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