Her Benny: A Story of Street Life

by Silas K. (Silas Kitto) Hocking

"Her Benny: A Story of Street Life" by Silas K. Hocking is a novel first published in 1879. Set in the slums of Victorian Liverpool, it follows young Benny Bates and his frail sister Nelly as they escape their violent father and struggle to survive on the streets. Aided by kind friends, the siblings learn to lead Christian lives while facing poverty, loss, and false accusations. This "waif story" became hugely successful, selling over a million copies and establishing Hocking's reputation as a writer of improving fiction.