Set in mid-1700s, Coram Boy takes readers on a trip through England, exposing them to the lifestyle of wealthy aristocrats as well as the dreary existence of orphaned children. In the 1700s, children, in general, faced a much different rearing than that of modern Western standards. Children unfortunate enough to be born to the lower classes often were sent to work at a young age to support the family, receiving little, if any, education. Those fortunate enough to attend school, either through their parents' own affluence or by scholarship, often endured mistreatment by miserable school headmasters. Perhaps most of all, orphans found themselves in the worst predicament.

With little social structure in place to care for indigent youngsters, children old enough to work are forced to gain employment, and those too young for work are often left to beg on the street. To be a child, particularly...