The Optimist's Apprentice: Will two strong personalities from different walks of life create success or chaos ...Paperback, 20 March 2023

Smoggy London Town in the 1860s is not an easy city to get by in.

Just off Liverpool Street a young, canny kid called William makes his living selling papers and shining shoes.

His life changes, when he catches the attention of a well-to-do optometrist. Fixing up a wagon into a mobile optometrist's shop, he sets off with nothing but his wiles and his hound, Mutt, to bring better eyesight to America and wealth to his company.

One thing William can't control is Little Stick, the smart, fiery Native American girl who latches onto him, eager to see more of the world.

This is the story of William, an urchin trying to make it big in America, and Little Stick, a young native from Oklahoma, determined to enjoy the world for all its worth.