Review: The Peach Thief

By Linda Joan Smith

Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2025. 374 pages.

This entertaining historical fiction set in England in the 1850s totally consumed me. A young girl who is down on her luck wants to steal a peach from a local garden. While in the process, she gets caught! The head gardener mistakes her for a boy and puts her to work in the garden to make up for the crime she committed.

Scilla thinks she will be scrubbing pots for just a few days. The workload is heavy, but Scilla rises to the occasion. The longer she stays, the more Scilla feels like she might actually fit in. Most shockingly, she finds herself wanting to be part of the crew that works in the lavish garden. However, there are a few complications that get in the way. Can she actually make amends for the crime that landed her here in the first place? Will people be willing to overlook her standing in society and accept her into their family? If people discover she is really a girl, will that jeopardize any chances she has to fitting in?

I loved following Scilla on her adventurous journey to try to fit in and to find a place for herself. Multiple times while reading, I had to put the book down and take a few minutes to process all that was happening to Scilla and the people she comes to rely on for friendships. I would recommend this book for people who like a historical fiction, complicated friendships, redemption stories, or adventure. It left me hopeful and happy!

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