The Lamplighter

The Lamplighter is an iconic sentimental novel of the Victorian era, which was at its time a national bestseller.

We join the young Gertrude Flint, an orphan in the care of an abusive and oppressive guardian named Nan Grant. Miserable and impoverished, it is with a stroke of fortune that Gertrude is discovered and rescued at the age of eight by Trueman Flint who goes about raising the young girl into a responsible, God-fearing and virtuous lady. 

Infused with myriad moral and religious lessons, The Lamplighter is an uplifting and inspiring tale of one girl's triumph against the adversity of her circumstances and those of a harsh wider world. Throughout the tale we find ourselves enlightened about the society of the mid-19th century culture, which is depicted as traditionally minded but fraught with peril, difficulties and hardship. 

Owing to the immense success of The Lamplighter, which was her very first novel, Maria S. Cummins came to specialize in writing fiction which would appeal to readers hearts and emotions for the rest of her life. So it is that The Lamplighter proved a winning template, giving confidence to many Americans in what was one of the hardest times for ordinary people to live.