Episode 84 - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, by Joan Aiken

We read Joan Aiken’s alternate history wolf dystopia, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase! Evil wolves are roaming free, but they leave you alone more often than you’d expect. The real evil resides at Willoughby Chase manor, in the form of faux governess Miss Slighcarp and faux amnesiac Josiah Grimshaw. Protagonists Sylvia and Bonnie do everything possible to right their situation, but end up in a Dickensian orphanage with only gruel and raw eggs to eat. Will an escort of geese get them safely home again??

We savored this outsize parody of Victorian orphan tales - our only demand is more of Simon and his chestnut flour cakes. Join us!

This episode was requested by listeners Clarissa and Angela - thank you both! If you’d like to request a book for us to cover, leave a comment or email us at dragonbabiespodcast@gmail.com.

EPISODE MEDIA

Some of Pat Marriott’s great illustrations