Storytime for Grownups

Host: Faith Moore
Episode: A Little Princess: Chapter 10
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

In this festive installment of the Christmas Spectacular, Faith Moore continues her spirited reading of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, focusing on Chapter 10, "The Indian Gentleman." This episode blends read-aloud storytelling with Faith’s signature literary commentary, drawing out themes of imagination, resilience, and the transformative power of kindness. Faith also provides engaging listener commentary, reflections on fairy tale motifs, and a touching discussion on Sara’s struggles and hopes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Upcoming Podcast Announcements (00:02–07:55)

• Faith sets the scene for the December shows, calling this period "full blown joyful out there in the open Christmas" (00:44).
• Important Dates:
  • December 12: The trailer for the new book drops (for January’s read).
  • December 18: The last chapter of A Little Princess will be read.
  • December 22: Wrap-up episode—a thematic conclusion to their Victorian Christmas read.
  • January 5: Introduction to the new winter/spring book.
• Giveaway Announcements:
  • New prize: Landed Gentry membership in the Drawing Room online community—which includes access to monthly voice chats ("Tea Times") and more (07:20).
  • Entry methods: Purchase Faith’s novel Christmas Carol; directions are in the show notes.

2. Chapter 9 Recap & Listener Reflections (07:56–14:45)

• Recap: Sara’s three friends—Becky, Ermengarde, and Lottie—keep her spirits up. Sara befriends a rat named Melchizedek, and she and Becky knock on walls to "pretend they are prisoners in the Bastille."
• Listener Comments:
  • Patty Schultz: Connects Sara to Cinderella, noting her friendship with rats (09:44).
  • Lania Berger: Relates Sara’s experience with mice to the comforting role of friendly animals in fairy tales (10:48).
  • John: Observes Sara’s princess-like selflessness in comforting Lottie (11:58).
• Faith’s analysis:
  • Sara’s kindness to animals and others identifies her as a "fairy tale princess."
  • Imagination as transformation: Sara’s capacity to "pretend" yields real emotional support, paralleling classic fairy tales (13:10).
  • Notable quote:

    "A rat is about as low as you can get. And yet here he is bringing Sara joy and companionship and helping her to feel a little less alone." — Faith Moore (12:34)

  • Lottie, while spoiled, provides Sara with a chance to see her world differently—her pretenses bring momentary magic but ultimately return to reality when she's alone.

3. The Power and Limits of Pretend (14:46–19:20)

• Sara’s "pretend" is both her strength and her refuge, bringing color to drab reality.
  • Notable book quote:

    "I can't help making up things. If I didn't, I don't believe I could live." — Sara Crewe, read by Faith (19:00)

• Contrasts: Sara's real world grows more difficult, but her internal, fairy-tale world thrives.
• Faith remarks how Sara’s ability to "make the world a better place via a kind of magic or a kind of imagination" is what sustains her (18:33).

4. Chapter 10: The Indian Gentleman (19:21–56:18)

4.1. Sara’s Growing Isolation & Imaginary Companions (20:00–25:25)

• "Sara lived a strange and lonely life," finding more solace in her attic than among others (21:02).
• She invents stories for "the Large Family" across the street, giving each child a romanticized name.
• A touching scene unfolds between Sara and Guy Clarence, a child from the Large Family:
  • Guy Clarence, moved by stories about the poor, gives Sara a sixpence.

    "'Here, poor little girl,' he said. 'Here is a sixpence. I will give it to you.'" — Guy Clarence (30:44)

  • Sara is both embarrassed and touched, ultimately accepting the coin to spare Guy’s feelings:

    "'Thank you,' she said. 'You are a kind, kind little darling thing.'" — Sara (31:34)

  • The children in the carriage puzzle over Sara’s identity, ultimately calling her "the Little Girl who is Not a Beggar."
• Sara drills a hole in the sixpence and wears it as a necklace, deepening her imaginary connections.

4.2. Sara’s Emotional Breaking Point (40:10–45:00)

• Despite her optimism, Sara has moments of breaking:
  • "I shall die presently," she tells her doll, Emily, in a rare collapse after a brutal day (43:12).
  • In frustration, she knocks Emily off a chair, sobbing:

    "'You are nothing but a doll,' she cried. 'Nothing but a doll. Doll, doll. You care for nothing. You are stuffed with sawdust. You never had a heart.'" — Sara (44:20)

  • Repentant, Sara picks up Emily and reconciles herself, emphasizing the theme of resilience through imagination.

4.3. Arrival of the Indian Gentleman—New Hopes and Mystery (45:01–55:00)

• The neighboring house is finally let; Sara dreams of befriending whoever moves into the adjoining attic room.
• Fascinated by the new neighbor’s Indian décor (rich oriental furniture reminiscent of her lost home), Sara identifies with the unknown occupant.
  • Notable observation:

    "They are beautiful things, she said. They look as if they ought to belong to a nice person." — Sara (47:28)

• Becky brings gossip:
  • The new neighbor is "an Indian gentleman"—possibly a "heathen" who "worships idols," much to Becky’s excitement and Sara’s amusement (50:00).
  • Sara corrects Becky: "I don't believe he worships that idol…Some people like to keep them to look at because they're interesting. My papa had a beautiful one, and he did not worship it."
• The "Indian gentleman" is described as wealthy, unwell, and deeply troubled—arriving with servants and a nurse, his connection to Sara’s fate hinted but not yet explained.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Faith on Sara’s resilience:

  "Sara's life is simultaneously becoming worse and worse in the literal sense of things…But her fairy tale life is actually getting better." (18:20)

• On imagination’s double edge:

  "Somehow when she has someone to conjure this beautiful room for, Sara can see it too. But it's connected to other people…without these people around her, it's like Sara's pretends don't work and she's back in this cold, bare attic and she despairs." (16:48)

• Listener John, on Sara’s selflessness:

  "...she somehow finds beauty in her awful room for Lottie's sake. This seems very princess-y to me." (11:58)

• Sara, at her lowest ebb:

  "I know I shall die. I'm cold, I'm wet, I'm starving to death. I've walked a thousand miles today, and they have done nothing but scream and scold me..." (43:39)

• Faith on Sara’s transformation of the world through pretend:

  "Before, it was Sara's pretend of being a princess causing real change in Becky's life. And now it's Sara's pretend that these animals can, like, feel and empathize with her and be friendly toward her that is growing Sara's world and her sense of community and companionship." (13:23)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:02 – Festive introduction & announcement of Christmas Spectacular schedule
• 07:56 – Chapter 9 recap and listener feedback
• 14:46 – Literary discussion: Sara as fairy tale princess & imagination as survival
• 19:21 – Reading of Chapter 10: "The Indian Gentleman" begins
• 30:44 – Guy Clarence offers Sara his sixpence
• 43:12 – Sara's emotional breaking point with her doll, Emily
• 47:28 – Sara encounters the Indian furniture, reminiscing about India
• 50:00 – Becky shares rumors about the new "Indian gentleman" neighbor
• 55:00 – Unveiling of the neighbor: solitary, sick, and enigmatic
• 56:18 – End of storytelling segment

Tone, Style, & Listener Experience

Faith Moore balances warmth and enthusiasm (“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”), thoughtful literary commentary, and gentle humor, creating a cozy, participatory experience. She preserves Burnett’s original language during readings and blends in her accessible, lightly whimsical analysis, inviting listeners to see classic literature in a new, deeply human light.

For Next Time

• Faith encourages listeners to share their thoughts and questions through her website.
• She reminds everyone to look for the Christmas Carol book giveaway in the show notes, join the Drawing Room community, and keep an eye out for upcoming episodes and the winter/spring book reveal.