A thrilling historical epic with an unlikely teenage hero
Who says fate is written in the stars?
Set in sixteenth-century Europe, JEPP is the thrilling, romantic and in turns heart-warming and poignant story of a teenage dwarf limited not only by his height but by his destiny. Although he appears to be bound for a lowly life as a court dwarf, Jepp has ambition, and he dreams of becoming a scientist and marrying the woman he loves.
This highly original and unforgettable story is based on a real historical figure, and Jepp's story includes violence, love, astrology, astronomy, and even a beer-drinking moose. A Philippa Gregory for teens, JEPP is ideal for fans of adventurous, thought-provoking historical romance. Our coach proceeded along a cobblestone promenade to the side of the palace and then stopped. Don sprang out, as jaunty as a grasshopper, and lifted me down after him. My legs felt stiff and my nose cold, but it hardly mattered. In front of us was a small, arched door. I peered up at Don eagerly, awaiting his instruction. "Go ahead, Jepp," he said. "Open it."
For the first time in my life, I did not have to reach up for the handle. I pushed open the little door and stepped into a white marble hall illuminated by a pair of elegant brass candelabra. Don followed me inside, hunching beneath the doorframe, and when he straightened up, I noticed that the top of his head nearly brushed the ceiling. At the end of the hall was a staircase. Voices drifted down it.
Don gestured for me to follow him along the hall and up the stairs. It was the first time I had climbed so steep and winding a staircase. Halfway up, my head began to spin and I made the error of gazing back down. I ceased my climb and leaned against the wall, watching Don take the stairs ahead of me three and four at a time. It occurred to me that, like the little door and low-ceilinged hall, they too had been fashioned for a smaller-than-normal inhabitant. "Come along," said Don from the top of the staircase, mistaking my inexperience with heights for hesitation.
I steeled myself and continued to climb until I had reached his same eyrie platform. We passed through another small door and into a second hall. The voices were louder here. They beckoned from an illuminated chamber to our right. Don bent beneath the low doorframe to enter the chamber and I followed after.
I will never forget the sight that greeted me... An only child, Katherine Marsh spent a lot of her youth reading, trading stories with her grandmother who had run a bar in New York, and listening to her mother's frequent astrological predictions. After surviving high school and graduating from Yale, Katherine spent a decade as a magazine journalist, including as a reporter for Rolling Stone and an editor at The New Republic. Her first book, The Night Tourist, won an Edgar Allen Poe Award for mystery writing, and was followed by the sequel The Twilight Prisoner. Katherine lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and two children.
Find out more about Katherine at: www.katherinemarsh.com or follow her on Twitter: @MarshKatherine A thrilling historical epic with an unlikely teenage hero JEPP is a singular and imaginative story, blending historical figures with an inspiring coming-of-age story A perfect crossover read with a unique protagonist A strong read that blends historical fiction with romance to create an epic adventure tale Extra content available - story inspired by real historical content A GAME OF THRONES-esque historical adventure with a compelling yet unlikely hero
