A Home for Foundlings: A Lord Museum Book

From Oliver Twist to Anne Shirley (of Green Gables fame), Harry Potter to the Baudelaires, orphans and their stories have fascinated young readers; the idea of trying to survive without parents both compels and repels. "A Home for Foundlings" tells the real story of how children who had no parents and -- possibly more tragically, children whose parents could not support them -- lived in London's Foundling Hospital. Starting with the author's search for his family roots, this book traces the history of the Foundling Hospital from its foundation by the kind Thomas Coram to its ultimate closing in 1953. Readers learn about the children's daily life, including work, education and diet, as well as some of the adult foibles that may have resulted in their placement in the founding hospital (the book gently but frankly addresses the struggles of unwed and/or abandoned mothers). With lots of illustrations and photgraphs, this is an interesting and uplifting look at the tough lives of more than 25,000 orphans and foundlings.

A Home For Foundlings is a beautifully written and incredibly informative book. Marthe Jocelyn manages to use the history of the Foundling Home to give a sense of the greater social history of England from the 18th century through the early twentieth century, particularly as regards the situations of women and children. At the same time the book is fun to read! The many photographs and illustrations are beautiful and fascinating, and the historical detail is carefully sifted through so that it is interesting, memorable and accessible. The stories of individual foundlings are very poignant. Even kids who aren't history buffs will enjoy this book very much; those who like history will be enthralled.