Schemes and dreams
It’s the Middle Ages and Rafferty Ferret is bringing himself up at a time when life was a good deal nastier, shorter and more brutal than it is today; he’s a loveable rogue whose story begins when he finds himself in a hole — a Leper Hole, to be exact.
Living rough and starving, he’s attempting to break into a bakery to steal bread when he gets stuck but, as award-winning author Sherryl Jordon writes, “although his body was stuck, his mind was not”. For as well as being charming, he’s also cunning, so when he’s rescued by the kindly baker and his suspicious wife, Rafferty spins a yarn to explain he intended to catch rats.
Bragging about his rat-catching abilities, Rafferty finds himself employed by the baker to rid his premises of vermin: “There was, however, just one tiny fly in the ointment, where this aspiring occupation was concerned: Rafferty had never caught a rat in his life.”
It’s not a spoiler to say that he soon does and embarks on a career more illustrious than he ever imagined. Jordon provides rich depictions of medieval life that young readers — the book is recommended for those 8+ — will be enthralled by and curious about.
Part adventure tale, part historical fiction, the story is propelled by a gentle sense of menace, courtesy of the nefarious and volatile characters who lurk in the narrow streets and alleyways of Spickernell. It’s never quite menacing enough to truly cause unease but it makes readers wonder how long Rafferty will get away with his schemes and dreams.
You’re always cheering him on, though, because there’s also great heart in this story as Rafferty reflects on the circumstances which led to him living on the street.
Rafferty Ferret Ratbag is a ragsto-riches tale but it also prompts young readers to consider what it means to be rich. Is it enjoying the comfort and trappings of the fine homes the little rascal finds himself in or is it more about friendship and doing to others as you would have done to yourself?
Rafferty is forced to consider this when he befriends the equally benighted Wyll. Their stories coalesce, bringing an extra sense of poignancy and urgency as it falls to Rafferty to save Wyll’s life. Without labouring the point, Jordan highlights the ways in which giving to and caring for others sometimes add up to a richer existence.