Without Family: Preface and Chapters 1-2

Welcome to the first season of Cherryleaf Library for Children. Hector Malot’s Without Family (translated as Nobody's Child) is one of the best children’s books ever written, especially for ages 8 to 12. It is a story of five years in the life of Rémi, a foundling in late 19th century France, a complex, gripping story, that keeps children emotionally engaged chapter after chapter. Jerome Barberin, a mason working in Paris found there an abandoned baby and brought him to his village, Chavanon, where he was raised by his wife, “mother Barberin.” The story, told by Rémi, starts when he is 8 years old and Barberin comes home unexpectedly, bitter and penniless after being injured in a work accident. Rémi finds out he is a foundling and that Jerome wants to get rid of him.