By George - Tapa dura

In the illustrious history of the theatrical Fishers, there are two Georges. One is a peculiar but endearing eleven year old, raised in the seedy world of boarding houses and backstages, now packed off to school for the first time; the other, a garrulous ventriloquist's dummy who belonged to George's grandfather, a favourite travelling act of the British troops in World War II. The two Georges know nothing of each other - until events conspire to unite them in a search to uncover the family's deepest secrets.

While the dummy lies dusty, silent and abandoned, his young namesake sets out to learn about his dead grandfather's past as a world-famous ventriloquist, his magical powers and their family's curious history.

Weaving the boy's tale and the puppet's memoirs, By George unveils the fascinating Fisher family - its weak men, its dominant women, its disgruntled boys, and its shocking and dramatic secrets. At once bitingly funny and exquisitely tender, Wesley Stace's novel is the unforgettable journey of two young boys separated by years but driven by the same desire: to find a voice, and to be loved.