The Children of the New Forest

Children of the New Forest is an old children's story, originally published in 1847, that I never would have read had I not been trying to read all of the 1001 Children's Books. It's historical fiction, set back in the 17th century during the time of the English Civil War. It's the story of the four Beverley children who are orphaned and subsequently taken in by a local forester who disguises them as his grandchildren. The four children remain in hiding for the duration of the war and learn from their caretaker to live in the forest.

It's a fascinating story, filled with details of life long ago filtered by the author's perceptions of the time.