The Guardian Angel

"The Guardian Angel" by Oliver Wendell Holmes is a 19th-century story centered around Myrtle Hazard, a young girl whose disappearance ignites a community-wide search and stirs up questions about her upbringing. The novel examines tough topics such as what we inherit from our families, our duties to each other, and how complicated people can be. Myrtle’s guardians, Miss Silence Withers and her aunt, have very different ideas about how she should be raised, which creates tension and conflict. As the search goes on, the story looks closely at the Withers family's past and how it affects Myrtle. The author suggests early on that Myrtle's inherited traits play a big role in her life, setting a tone of mystery as the journey explores her challenges and destiny.