Her first children 's novel was '' The Great Gale '' , published in 1960 and inspired by the devastation inflicted by the North Sea flood of 1953 on her home county of Suffolk . Her subject matter often reflected a radical approach first popularised by Geoffrey Trease . It included the slave trade in '' To Ravensrigg '' and the Captain Swing riots of the 1830s in '' No Beat of Drum '' and '' Otmoor for Ever . '' She sometimes covered similar themes for different age groups ; '' Beyond the Weir Bridge '' was written for teens , while the same issues and events appear in '' Through the Fire , '' aimed at six-to-nine year olds . Several of her books are set in Suffolk , with many also having a maritime or naval setting
North Sea flood of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
Hester Burton