The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts by Avi

Oliver is awakened by a big storm on the coast.  When he goes downstairs to see how his father is doing, he finds him gone.  It seems he took off to London, perhaps to see his sister who went there earlier.  But why now?

Algonquin Young Readers and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published May 16th.

It's unfortunate that his father has made so many enemies in town.  When they realize his father is gone and he's all alone, they accuse him of being younger than he is and stick him in the poorhouse.  It's not just poor, it's awful!  No food to speak of, work all day, and radical punishments.  As soon as he can, he runs.

He doesn't have very good luck with that either.  He can't use the stage so he's going to have to walk.  The first person he runs into is a highway man.  The second is another highway man who intends to use the boy as a way to get stages to stop.  He's made to do it against his will and he witnesses a strange collaboration between the highway man and one of the men from town.  He can be hung for his crime so now he has another problem to carry.  And he's still trying to get away.

They buy him a new coat, sew his handkerchief to his pocket so it can't be picked and then send him out onto the busy London streets.  They intend to capture the pickpockets and get paid for turning them in.  The first one to show up is his sister and they both run from the men.

Poor Oliver only has bad luck.  Even at the end when he and his sister find his father bad luck comes.  He has a new adventure ahead of him.  He's being sent away for several years to pay for his crimes.  I just hope his luck turns...