A Reputed Changeling

A boy's reputation as a fairy changeling unsettles two schoolfriends in seventeenth-century Hampshire. Anne Woodford and Lucy Archfield meet Peregrine Oakshott's mischief while walking through the cathedral grounds at Winchester. Their nurse explains the stories surrounding his family, bringing local superstition into a setting of clerical households, country gentry and political loyalties. Charlotte M. Yonge gives these childhood encounters the detail of clothing, school life and household remedies.

The historical novel also follows Anne into the troubled atmosphere of Whitehall. Her loyalty to her royal employers brings her into conflict with companions who distrust her secrecy, while threatening crowds and uncertain news about the Prince of Wales deepen the anxiety. A letter from her uncle offers reassurance and advice about her obligations. Friendship and Christian conscience connect the private concerns of the opening with these public pressures, giving readers an intimate view of life amid political change.