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It was right that Leah Boden should open her middle-grade biography series, Tales of Boldness and Faith, with Charlotte Mason. And understandable that next she would move to CS Lewis. Both are rightly famous writers, and both lived such storied lives. The chronicles of their days are fertile ground for the imagination of young readers. Written with such passion and respect, readers are drawn into two lives worth knowing and loving. The story of Aina, Sarah Forbes Bonnetta, however was as unexpected as the other two were predictable, but no less important. In fact, perhaps, even more so as her story is hidden from history.
Aina was born into African royalty, captured, enslaved, and brought into the court of a powerful and evil king. Through the intervention of a royal British naval officer, Aina was given the gift of life. She was given an English name and was adopted as the goddaughter of Queen Victoria. The eight-year-old African princess moved into the home of the Forbes family, where she was loved, mentored, nurtured, and introduced to English life. When the cold British winter began to thwart her health, however, Queen Victoria removed her to Sierra Leone where the warm West African climate would restore her.
Happy in Sierra Leone, but lonely for her English family, she begged to move back to England. Tenderhearted Queen Victoria concurred and brought Sarah back to England where she would be educated and prepared for her adult life as an African princess in English culture.
(Insert scene with Queen Victoria)
This marvelous true story reads like an exquisite novel. Aina’s life was special and unique. Queen Victoria and Aina’s English friends understood that she could serve as a bridge between two cultures. When Aina married a white English man who had a passion for the education of African children, the couple moved back to Africa, where they built schools and helped African children embrace both their African culture and the advantages and beauty of their adopted English culture.
Brave Princess Aina’s story has mostly disappeared from history, despite her being beloved by her godmother, Queen Victoria, and cherished by those she influenced in West Africa. Boden has done a marvelous work here, recovering this beautiful and compelling life worth knowing.
Ideal for middle-grade readers, this would be an excellent biography to hand to a child or to be used as a morning basket read aloud. I have purchased several copies for my library and am certain that it will be as popular as it is important.