Review of "A History of Whittington and His Cat," edited by Michael Kipps

 Review of

A History of Whittington and His Cat, edited by Michael Kipps

Five out of five stars

This short story is a retelling of one of the most charming folk stories of eighteenth century England. In physical structure, it resembles the cheap reading material that was sold by itinerant peddlers of the time. For a few pennies, a customer could buy a small book that contained a simple story.

 Dick Whittington was a small orphan boy that seemed destined for a short life of misery. Fortunately, a man on a wagon allowed him to walk alongside the wagon in his trip to town. Once there, Dick was poorly treated until a merchant took pity on him and allowed him into his home and told his servants to feed him.

 While Dick’s situation had improved, he was still mistreated by the cook, beaten for the slightest transgressions. In a manner common to the fairy tales, fortune smiled greatly on him and suddenly he is a wealthy man. As a consequence of that wealth, he is elevated to the status of a gentleman, marries the girl of his dreams and rises to a position of political power.

 This book is basically a fairy tale in the form of a pamphlet. While it is not precisely accurate, it does contain some historical accuracies. At a time of short life expectancy, there were many orphans and there was nothing in the way of social services. Most were homeless, begging for survival and enduring regular acts of mistreatment. Dick is one that finally managed to thrive after just barely surviving.