¿Work has many faces, sometimes a heavy touch and sometimes a light touch. This work was being performed by little boys, nimble but shockingly young to the modern mind. The Life of a Mill Boy was written by a mill boy himself. Lucky enough to be literate, to retain some semblance of good health and the clear eyed memory to bring his world to life.

The life of poor Al Priddy will grip you and then break your heart. He loses his parents, he crosses the Atlantic Ocean, he is illegally re-aged and graduates from school and it seems as though every glimmer of hope fades away. The resilience, optimism and fair mindedness of this tender youth lifts the spirits of the reader and makes reading on utterly necessary, just to follow the twisting path with him.

This may be from Al's perspective but the insight you gain into his world is certainly wider than a little boy's personal thoughts. His Aunt, furious about her circumstances, her husband, his drinking and their debt. His Uncle, kind but weak, hoping for a better life for his family but wallowing in his incapacity to deliver it. The characters fly by, even a white haired, angelic school teacher who helps Al to get a few clothes without holes in them. The world is harsh but in every person, no matter how harshly we wish to judge them, there is a glimmer of pity, humanity or regret. Any account can give the bare details of a mill boy's life but Through the Mill is truly special in showing the thoughts and feelings of the people living in this harsh world.

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