Series: Tales of Boldness and Faith #1
Published by Moody Publishers on February 4, 2025
Genres: Children's
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Who is Charlotte Mason?
The Angel Orphan tells the true and inspiring story of the courageous young girl who changed the face of education in the United Kingdom and beyond. In this fictionalized biography, author Leah Boden brings to life the story of the intelligent young girl who grew to be an author and champion of education.
Charlotte Marie Shaw Mason was born in Wales and raised as an only child in the north of England. Her family struggled, but she became a self-directed learner. Orphaned as a teenager, Charlotte had a lifelong struggle with illness. Yet Charlotte persevered. She became a faithful, thoughtful female leader in the late 1900s. The Angel Orphan is a delightful tale of hope, the joy of learning, and strength of character.
Each chapter allows Charlotte Mason’s story to unfold, sharing a reflective lesson from her life for children, and takes the reader on an insightful journey through the UK.
This book is the first in a new series of fictionalized biographies for children. The Angel Orphan covers the life story of Charlotte Mason, highlighting her character, her accomplishments as a teacher, and the ways that she has influenced generations through her approach to childhood education. As a teacher and author, she emphasized the importance of letting children explore nature, books, and their own curiosity, instead of them just learning and repeating rote facts. This book covers multiple decades of Charlotte Mason’s life, and author Leah Boden paces things well. Even when the book fast forwards through time, it’s always clear when and where the story resumes.
Each chapter represents a different part of Mason’s life through both summaries and dramatized scenes. The book sometimes leans towards telling rather than showing, but there is enough dramatization to make the book work, and to make it different from a standard biography. However, the downside of this is that it is unclear which aspects of the story are based on historical documentation or Mason’s own writings, and which parts flow from the author’s imagination. I would give this book a higher rating if there had been an author’s note to differentiate between fact and fiction.
The Angel Orphan: Charlotte Mason Finds Her Way Home is a unique story that will appeal to fans of fictionalized biographies and to homeschoolers who are interested in Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophies. The publisher recommends this book for children ages eight to twelve, but children younger than eight could listen to this as a read-aloud, and parents will probably enjoy and benefit from it the most.