Venus in Boston: A Romance of City Life

"Venus in Boston: A Romance of City Life" by George Thompson is a story set in the middle of the 1800s, that shows the hard times and issues faced by poor people in a big city. It mainly tells the story of Fanny Aubrey, a young girl who sells fruit to survive; she has lots of problems and challenges. These challenges include a scary meeting with a rich man who wants to take advantage of her. The story starts in the cold, gloomy winter of Boston, where Fanny, a young teenager, tries to sell fruit on the streets so she can take care of her sick grandfather and little brother. She is seen as innocent and graceful, even though her life is hard. The story gets intense when she is tricked into a dangerous situation with a bad man, Mr. Tickels, who wants to hurt her. Luckily, she is saved by Corporal Grimsby, an unusual but nice old soldier. This rescue highlights the story's criticism of how corrupt society can be, and it supports protecting innocence from the bad things that happen in the city at that time.