Subject
Foster children -- Fiction Books
Best books
Hugh Fraser
Giannella
"Giannella" by Mrs. Hugh Fraser is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around a little orphaned girl named Giannella and explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the kindness of strangers in a setting that traverses from the bohemian lives of struggling Scandinavian artists in Rome to the nurturing environment of a convent school. The opening of the novel introduces the reader to a tragic event: the death of two parents, leaving behind their infant daughter, Giannella. Two young painters, Carl and Hans, alongside a devoted woman named Mariuccia, ponder what to do with the child, ultimately deciding against abandoning her at a foundling hospital. Instead, Mariuccia offers to care for Giannella, planning to bring her to her brother’s home where she can be raised properly. This moment sets the stage for Mariuccia’s strong commitment to nurturing and educating Giannella, framing the foundation of their relationship as they navigate the challenges that come with caring for a child amidst financial struggles and societal expectations.
Eleanor C. (Eleanor Catherine) Price
John's Lily
"John's Lily" by Eleanor C. Price is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story introduces readers to John Randal, a simple and earnest young blacksmith from a quiet village, who unexpectedly finds himself caring for a neglected little girl named Lily after a chance encounter on a railway journey. As the narrative unfolds, it explores themes of innocence, love, and the complexity of human relationships in a pastoral setting, centered around John and Lily's bond. The opening of the novel sets the stage as John, unfamiliar with the bustling chaos of city life, returns home from a trip to London. He encounters a distressed little girl during his wait at the train station, a moment that leads him to rescue her from a rough couple. The narrative details John's thoughts and feelings as he carries Lily into his life, highlighting his strong sense of duty and deep kindness. Despite his simple background, John's world quickly becomes intertwined with the sweet yet fragile Lily, laying the foundation for exploring the challenges and joys they will face together in an ever-changing society.
Louis Dodge
Bonnie May
"Bonnie May" by Louis Dodge is a novel written in the early 20th century. This story follows a peculiar and spirited young girl named Bonnie May, who enters the lives of the Barons after being rescued from a chaotic situation in a theatre. The narrative promises to explore themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of varying social classes as Bonnie encounters the Barons, examining the contrasts between her experiences and theirs. At the start of the book, the atmosphere is set in a theatre where Baron, the main adult character, is unexpectedly joined by Bonnie May, a young girl who appears to have wandered in. Despite her initial carefree demeanor, she reveals depth through her candidness and unexpected knowledge about the theatre world. A sudden calamity—a fire at the theatre—forces Baron to carry her out to safety, thrusting them into a peculiar partnership. As they navigate the aftermath, Baron discovers that Bonnie May has no real home to return to, leading him to decide to take her with him to his family’s mansion, setting up an intriguing dynamic between the child and the established, if struggling, Baron family.
Marika Stiernstedt
Fröken Liwin
"Fröken Liwin" by Marika Stiernstedt is a novel published in 1925. When a young upper-middle-class woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she flees to Stockholm to hide her shame. She gives up her child, expecting relief, but instead finds herself haunted by guilt and longing. Fifteen years later, she reclaims her daughter, only to discover that legal motherhood cannot undo years of absence. The novel examines a society that punishes women for circumstances beyond their control.
Marika Stiernstedt
Neiti Liwin : $b Romaani
"Neiti Liwin : Romaani" by Marika Stiernstedt is a novel written in the early 20th century. It follows Miss Elma Liwin, a capable yet solitary woman in Stockholm whose outwardly respectable charity work hides a painful secret and a raw vulnerability to social judgment. After a humiliating slight from the admired Alexandra Pasch, Elma’s conflicts with respectability, desire, and independence come into focus. The story delves into hidden emotional dramas and the uneasy boundary between benevolence, hypocrisy, and longing. The opening of the novel presents life as a set of silent dramas before dropping into a charity board meeting where Elma demands an explanation from Mrs. Pasch for calling her a “spinster,” then abruptly resigns. On her walk home through Humlegården, spring stirs memories of a youthful affair with a bandleader, an unwanted pregnancy, his rejection, a secret birth aided by a midwife, and the immediate surrender of her newborn—events that hardened her pride. In the present she lives with the breezy physiotherapist Rick Brunjohann; Mrs. Pasch’s expensive flowers and bland apology only sharpen Elma’s self-scrutiny. The scene then shifts to Tilda, a lively schoolgirl who finds a pearl cross in the park and returns it to Mrs. Pasch, meeting her son Alexis and hinting at new threads tying these lives together.
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