Introduction Nobody's Girl by Hector Malot
"Nobody's Girl," published in France under the title "En Famille",follows "Nobody's Boy" as a companion juvenile story, and takes placewith it as one of the supreme juvenile stories of the world. Like"Nobody's Boy" it was also crowned by the Academy, and that literaryjudgment has also been verified by the test of time.
"Nobody's Girl" is not a human document, such as is "Nobody's Boy", becauseit has more story plot, and the adventure is in a more restricted field,but it discloses no less the nobility of a right-minded child, and howloyalty wins the way to noble deeds and life. This is another beautifulliterary creation of Hector Malot which every one can recommend as anennobling book, of interest not only to childhood, page by page to thethrilling conclusion, but to every person who loves romance andcharacter.
Only details, irrelevant for readers in America, have been eliminated.Little Perrine's loyal ideals, with their inspiring sentiments, arepreserved by her through the most discouraging conditions, and aredescribed with the simplicity for which Hector Malot is famous. Thebuilding up of a little girl's life is made a fine example for everychild. Every reader of this story leaves it inspired for the better way.
THE PUBLISHERS.