- Is Fellcrag a real place?
No it’s imaginary and a mixture of lots of different villages. Hopefully it feels pretty real though!
- How much of the history is real?
There’s only so much we can know for sure. The Roman road is real and still can be seen in places! There were definitely forts in the locations in the book and you can still visit the ruins and the bathhouse in Ravenglass. Some of the people were real such as Nepos and Flavius but lots are imaginary. The book is a mix of fact and well-researched guesswork. I’ve tried to make it as authentic as possible while keeping it a fun story!
- What’s the significance of Fibonacci?
Fibonacci lived in Pisa in the twelfth century and studied mathematical principles. He came up with a sequence of numbers which replicates itself in nature again and again and can be seen in spiral shapes. This image becomes important in the books.
- Why is Tim’s Mum so unhappy?
You’ll learn more about Sarah’s story as you read the book. Suffice it to say, she’s had a lot of sadness in her life and the latest tragedies have simply proved too much. Tim is struggling to care for her but is scared to seek help in case he is taken away from her.
- What’s Martha and Gary’s story?
Martha was born in Fellcrag and grew up with Sarah and Adam, Tim’s parents. She met Gary when they were both trainee teachers in London. He was born in Barbados and his family came to London when he was very small. They both moved up to Fellcrag when Annie was little.
- Who is Florence?
Florence is Sarah’s great aunt. Sarah came to live with her when she was a baby after her parents were killed in a car crash. Florence is quite forthright and opinionated but her heart’s in the right place.
- What’s Bernard’s story?
Bernard is a bit of a man of mystery. His accent isn’t like anyone local but he doesn’t divulge much about his past. Maybe we’ll find out more in later books in the series!