Audiobook · read by volunteers
Little Duke
Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823–1901)
Read by Cori Samuel, Kalynda, Robin Cotter, Laura Caldwell, LilianaVale, Sarah Jennings, Raju Venkateswaran · 13 chapters · 3 h 56
About the book
Richard, Duke of Normandy, is only eight years old when his father is murdered, and suddenly the boy has a title, a country to hold and enemies who would be glad to see him fail. Charlotte Yonge builds this story from real history, following the child duke through intrigue, kidnapping, loyalty and the long struggle to keep what is his. The loyalty of the people around the boy gives the book its warmth. Yonge wrote with a clear moral purpose, but she also knew how to keep a young reader turning the page. First published in her magazine The Monthly Packet, the tale has thirteen chapters, read here by seven LibriVox volunteers in just under four hours. It is a good choice for families who like history told as a story of courage and loyalty.
Introduction
Charlotte Mary Yonge, who lived from 1823 to 1901, was an English novelist who wrote prolifically for young people and edited a magazine for girls, The Monthly Packet. A devout Anglican and a friend and follower of John Keble, she had made her name with the novel The Heir of Redclyffe in 1853. The Little Duke, first appearing in 1854, is one of her best-known works for children, and it belongs with her historical fiction.
The story is based on the life of Richard, Duke of Normandy, who succeeded to the title at the age of eight after his father was murdered. Yonge draws on the medieval chronicles and shapes them into a narrative about loyalty, honour and the dangers that surround a very young ruler. She does not pretend that history is simple, but she aims to make its people recognisable and sympathetic, and she places a good deal of weight on faith and duty, in keeping with her own outlook and that of her readers.
The book appeared first in instalments in her magazine before it was collected, and its thirteen chapters carry something of that serial rhythm, each with its own turn of events. Some of its language and attitudes are those of Victorian children’s literature, which a modern listener can enjoy as part of the period flavour.
Seven LibriVox volunteers share the reading, and the recording lasts nearly four hours. Today it is worth hearing as a fine example of Victorian historical fiction for the young, and as a gentle introduction to the early history of Normandy.
Public domain
Charlotte Mary Yonge died in 1901: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text