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A Little Trickerie

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2025

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A Little Trickerie

By: Rosanna Pike
Narrated by: Laura Aikman
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Listen. My one-time friend Maria did tell me once: "Make your own paradise, Tibb, since this world is no sweet place for people like us."

Born a vagabond, Tibb Ingleby has never had a roof of her own. But her mother has taught her that if you're not too bound by the Big Man's rules, there are many ways a woman can find shelter in this world. Now her ma is dead in a trick gone wrong and young Tibb is orphaned and alone.

As she wends her way across the fields and forests of medieval England, Tibb will discover there are people who will care for her, as well as those who mean her harm. And there are a great many others who are prepared to believe just about anything.

And so, when the opportunity presents itself to escape the shackles society has placed on them, Tibb and her new friends conjure an audacious plan: her greatest trickerie yet. But before they know it, their hoax takes on a life of its own, drawing crowds - and vengeful enemies - to their door...

A Little Trickerie is blazingly original, disarmingly funny and deeply moving. Portraying a side of Tudor England rarely seen, it's a tale of belief and superstition, kinship and courage, with a ragtag cast of characters and an unforgettable and distinctly unangelic heroine.

'Crisp, transportive, uplifting. The fresh, irreverent voice of Tibb Ingleby is sheer brilliance. I loved it!'
BONNIE GARMUS, author of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY

©2024 Rosanna Pike (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 Biographical Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Medieval Women's Fiction Funny
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Critic reviews

Crisp, transportive, uplifting. The fresh, irreverent voice of Tibb Ingleby is sheer brilliance. I loved it!
Striking, darkly funny and heartfelt, Tibb’s tale of trickery and friendship in a vividly conjured Tudor England grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go
A bold, funny and imaginative journey through Tudor England in the excellent company of a foul-mouthed would-be angel called Tibb. A brilliantly original debut with a brave and insightful heroine, A Little Trickerie is a real treat - and Rosanna Pike a real talent.
Rosanna Pike is a bright and bold new voice in historical fiction and has created a heart-catching character in bad girl trickster, Tibb

I absolutely LOVED Rosanna Pike's A Little Trickerie, a wonderful, spirited, really fresh-feeling historical novel ... Punchy and funny and original and heartbreaking all at once
... Very unexpected and original ... Absolutely raucous and vividly alive
'[Written] with great panache ... It’s nice to come across a voice so singular and characterful ... A book [that] is unapologetically itself ... A Little Trickerie is lovable, fun and emotionally juicy (Imogen Hermes Gowar)
A Little Trickerie has a big heart, a subversive wit, and the most lovable protagonist I've come across in years. It's funny, linguistically inventive, and angry about all the right things, dealing deftly with a slew of serious issues—class, homophobia, homelessness, religious faith. I tore through it and enjoyed every page. A thrilling, joyous, intoxicating debut
A boisterous vagabond with an audacious plan ... Great fun to read
I defy you to resist the raw energy and subversive humour of this Tudor picaresque novel narrated by foul-mouthed, big-hearted Tibb ... evoking a Tudor England a far cry from the usual image of courtly banquets
'A little trickerie' is what you need to survive in Tudor England ... Pike brings together a loveable, diverse cast'
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I really loved this book and found it hard to put down. Great characters and plot. Highly recommend.

A captivating read with lovable character

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Fabulous narrating added enormously to my enjoyment of this simply wonderful book. I loved every minute of it.

Enchanting

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Loved the narrator - it the made the story even more enjoyable and is always a priority for me when listening to an audiobook. Great plot and characters. Some of the phases I wanted to bottle and keep they were so well thought out and just perfect. Funny in places, emotional in places, balanced perfectly. Looking forward to more from this author.

A favourite

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Loved this, really original voice, great narration, super characters, fabulous twists. Really captured the spirit of the era for me - pretty scary times! Highly recommended

So original

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It’s beautifully written, and the characters are so well explored; you really feel like you understand them, almost as friends.

It’s hard-going and I nearly gave up at several points. But when the sun appears, and things finally seem to be going well, it’s the sweetest relief. Of course obstacles continue and it’s never plain-sailing, but boy is it worth pushing through!

Also really interesting representation of the Church (please not to be confused with Christianity, as there’s nothing Christ-like about it!), and poignant timing.

Hard-going and relentlessly sad, but so worth it!

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