Who Were The Real Oliver Twists?

Name: Who Were The Real Oliver Twists?
Brand: Pen and Sword
Price: 18.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder

Childhood Poverty in Victorian London

By: Lynn Hamilton

Write A Review

eBook | 31 July 2024

At a Glance

Format
ePUB

eBook

RRP $23.09

$18.99

18%OFF

Available: 31st July 2024

Preorder. Download available after release.

Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist exposed a brutal but commonplace system of child exploitation to Victorian readers. Conditions in workhouses, factories, and child criminal gangs posed lethal and daily hazards to children born to poverty. Several much-needed reforms took place in the aftermath of Oliver Twist's publication. But what were the circumstances of childhood poverty in Victorian London and other English cities? And who were the real Oliver Twists?

This book explores how nineteenth century laws and social institutions entirely failed to protect children born to poor and unstable families. Despite a horrible labyrinth of ten-hour workdays, illegal indentures, and forced emigration, however, many children overcame terrible prospects and thrived. Some of these remarkable stories of childhood resilience, innovation, and enterprise have been lost to the general reader. This book brings those stories back to light.