A London Child of the 1870s

What a lovely little book! Thanks to my friend Shari for lending it to me (and the sequels, so more to come). This memoir by Molly Hughes recounts her childhood in Victorian London, the youngest (and only girl) of 5 children. She's very clear from the start that they are a normal family, no one is famous, they're just regular, real people.

What's most interesting to me is how keen for knowledge Molly and her brothers all seem to be. With no television or video games, they are all extremely well-read and learned in a variety of subjects. Even Molly, who is schooled at home by her mother, learns Latin and history and geography in addition to reading whatever books she seems to be able to get her hands on, and all this before the age of twelve.

If you are into the Victorian Era, or just enjoy learning what life was like in the past, I highly recommend this book. I've already started the sequel and am enjoying that just as much!

A LONDON CHILD OF THE 1870S