Imagine you are growing up in an eighteenth-century village high up in the Yorkshire Moors. Times are very hard, and you have to work long hours to help your family to have even the basic essentials. Disease and death are all around you — even the death of young children.

This is the life of Tom Whittaker. Early events left deep scars and many unanswered questions. Is there really a heaven? Does God hear prayer? How can I ever forgive?

Although Tom is a fictional character, his life of hardship was typical of the days in which he lived, and has been drawn from many true-life incidents. Most importantly, he comes into contact with William Grimshaw, the unconventional and fiery curate of Haworth. Grimshaw’s desire to teach God’s truth brought him into many a conflict, with even a riot against him and his friend John Wesley. Yet his love and care for his flock, and, above all, the message of hope and salvation he brought, changed the lives of thousands of men, women and children.

But what about Tom? Read the book and follow the adventures and challenges he faced, his ever-growing respect for William Grimshaw… and what happened to him ‘under the scaffold’.


Faith Cook was born in China, the daughter of OMF missionaries, and now lives in Derbyshire. She is the author of a number of books, including Our hymn-writers and their hymns; Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day queen of England; Seeing the Invisible; and Lives turned upside down, all published by Evangelical Press. Faith is married to Paul, who served as a pastor in churches in Northallerton, Shepshed and Hull. They have five children and ten grandchildren.


'Historical novels are a recognized way of letting us live in the age about which we are reading. They bring a different perspective on historical events. This is a good read for teens and adults alike and is sure to engender an interest in going further into the lives of these great preachers and delving into a period of history that saw remarkable turnings to God.'
Review from New Life (30 December 2006)