Foundling

First published by the French children's author Malot in 1878, The Foundling (Sans Famille was highly acclaimed and an instant bestseller. The English translation, by a scholar of the works of Alexandre Dumas, reads flawlessly. The Foundling tells of young Remi, who has been brought up in genteel poverty for his first eight years. One day he discovers that not only is he adopted, but that his adoptive father intends to sell him to an itinerant minstrel named Vitalis. Life on the roads of France with him isn't easy, but Vitalis is both kind and intelligent. However, it soon becomes apparent that it is Remi's mysterious identity that holds the key to the lad's future. Brave Dickensian children, frightening villains and the streets of both France and England jump vividly from the pages of this picaresque tale. A gem of a story, for both children and adults. (8-up)