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Gr 9 Up—Mary Finn is unmarried and pregnant. Her baby's father has disappeared and she's been dismissed from her domestic position. A kindhearted woman takes her in, but then dies after the baby is born, and Mary is homeless again. She realizes that her son's only hope for survival is to be raised in the Foundling Hospital. Six-year-old James has been happy in his foster home, but now he must return to the hospital, where he was pla...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

A scullery and a foundling home prove fertile settings for tandem story lines about underclass life in Victorian London. In 1878, Mary Finn goes into service under her new stepmother's orders—"It were Her plot to be rid of me, sending me to work for her sister, under pretense of opportunity. Ha"—and becomes a maid in London. Seven years later, six-year-old James Nelligan reluctantly takes leave ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

In 1878, Mary Finn becomes a maid in London. Seven years later, six-year-old James Nelligan reluctantly returns to the home (modeled after...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

With exquisite writing, Marthe Jocelyn perfectly depicts the Victorian setting as well as the fears and hopes of her characters. The reade...Log In or Sign Up to Read More