Storytime for Grownups: "A Little Princess" – Chapters 2-3

Host: Faith Moore
Episode Date: November 10, 2025
Podcast: Storytime for Grownups

Episode Overview

In this special holiday-themed episode, host Faith Moore continues her cozy journey through Frances Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess, reading and discussing Chapters 2 and 3. True to the podcast's mission, Faith weaves in thoughtfully timed explanations, responds to listener questions from both children and adults, and draws illuminating connections to the novel’s historical and cultural context.

This episode stands out for its warm sense of community—listeners of all ages are encouraged to share in the wonder of classic literature, with traditions, questions, and a festive Victorian spirit threaded throughout.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Community and Listener Engagement (00:02–09:45)

• Celebrating Community:

  • Faith opens with gratitude to her listeners, sharing joyful stories of families gathering for storytime (“There are people sending me photographs of their kids all snuggled up under cozy blankets, wearing pajamas, drinking hot cocoa...” – 00:34).
  • Emphasizes the delight of unplugging from screens and connecting over books.
  • “We're just talking about books and telling stories. You guys and your kids are here for it. And I am so, so here for it.” (01:28)

• Holiday Activities:

  • Updates on a prize drawing (for a lifetime membership to the Drawing Room community, Faith’s novel Christmas Carol), signed bookplates, and a Christmas card exchange—all intended to deepen participation and foster a Victorian Christmas atmosphere.
  • “Christmas cards, as I said last time, is in fact a Victorian tradition. They were invented in the Victorian era.” (07:45)

2. Chapter 1 Recap (09:46–11:51)

• Summary:
  Faith quickly recaps Chapter 1, reminding listeners of Sara Crewe’s journey from India to London and the heartbreaking separation from her father.
  • Highlights Sara’s old-soul character and her father’s devotion (lavish wardrobe, a private suite, and even a pony at boarding school).
  • Miss Minchin, the headmistress, is introduced as a cold figure, mainly interested in appearances and money.

3. Listener Questions and Faith’s Responses (11:52–27:40)

• Themes in Listener Questions:
  Both children and adults pose thoughtful inquiries about the setting, character motivations, and historical context.

  • Why must British children be sent away from India? Why can’t Sara’s father stay in England with her?

    • Faith explains Britain’s colonial presence in India, the perceived dangers of the climate (health and disease), and the cultural norm for British children to receive an “English” education (19:04–23:44).
    • Notable: “He has to go where the British military stations him and he's currently stationed in India.” (19:42)

  • Why doesn’t Sara have a governess in India, given her wealth?

    • It’s about more than education—it’s about societal expectations, preparing Sara for life among British society, both in India and England (21:22–22:30).

  • What is Sara’s school like?

    • Difference between boarding schools for wealthy children (Sara’s “parlor boarder” status, private rooms) vs. those for the poor (referencing Jane Eyre’s Lowood School).

  • Audience Identifications:

    • Parents relate viscerally to the pain of separation (“I can't imagine leaving my little girl in a different country…” – 13:28).
    • Children and adults ask similar questions, underlining how universal the novel’s emotional themes are.

  • Ms. Minchin’s Character:

    • Listeners, including the Haddon children, sense she’s “going to be evil” (25:30).
    • Faith unpacks how Sara’s character contrasts with Miss Minchin’s materialism: “Sara is incredibly wealthy, incredibly doted on and given whatever she wants, but she actually isn't at all so spoiled.” (27:12)
    • Quote from the text:
      “I am not beautiful at all. Colonel Grange's little girl, Isabel, is beautiful… I am one of the ugliest children I ever saw. She is beginning by telling a story, meaning by telling a lie.” (26:34)

Chapter-by-Chapter Highlights

Chapter 2: A French Lesson (27:41–41:56)

• Sara’s First Day:

  • Sara immediately draws curiosity, especially because of her elegant dress and mysterious French maid, Mariette (27:55).
  • Lavinia and Jessie, older students, gossip about her wardrobe ("Frills and frills" – 28:42).

• Sara’s Inner World:

  • Faith pauses to gently explain terms (e.g., "frock" means dress) and Victorian etiquette.
  • Sara’s imagination shines in her private conversations with her doll, Emily, and her whimsical theory that dolls come alive when people leave the room (31:01):
    • “What I believe about dolls is that they can do things they will not let us know about. … If you stay in the room, Emily will just sit there and stare. But if you go out, she will begin to read, perhaps, or go and look out of the window.” (31:03)
  • Mariette recognizes Sara’s kindness and good manners (“She thanked her as if she was thanking a lady” – 32:48).

• French Lesson Clash:

  • Ms. Minchin, eager for appearances, assumes Sara can’t speak French. Sara, whose late mother was French and who’s grown up bilingual, shyly tries to explain and is rebuffed.
  • Memorable Scene: Sara’s fluent reply in French to Monsieur Dufarge stuns everyone (37:27).
    • Monsieur Dufarge: “Ah, Madame, there is not much I can teach her. She has not learned French. She is French. Her accent is exquisite.” (38:47)
    • Miss Minchin, embarrassed, begins to secretly resent Sara.

Chapter 3: Ermengarde (41:57–end)

• Introducing Ermengarde:

  • Sara meets Ermengarde St. John, a well-meaning, earnest but academically “dull” classmate who struggles deeply with lessons and has a clever, demanding father.
  • Ermengarde is fascinated by Sara’s abilities and kindness—qualities rarely encountered by her in the competitive school environment.
  • Sara dislikes seeing others mocked (“It isn’t funny, really, she said between her teeth… They ought not to laugh.” – 44:27).

• Friendship and Pretending:

  • The girls form a bond: Sara introduces Ermengarde to her doll and to the imaginative world of “pretending,” which Ermengarde finds wholly new (“You make up stories? … Can you do that as well as speak French?” – 49:38).
  • Sara shares her heartache at her father’s absence in a poignant exchange:
    • Sara: “I promised him I would bear it, she said, and I will. You have to bear things. Think what soldiers bear…” (53:13)
    • Ermengarde: “I wish we could be best friends. Would you have me for yours? You're clever and I'm the stupidest child in the school, but oh, I do so like you.” (54:20)
  • The chapter closes with Sara vowing to help Ermengarde with French and a sense of hope building in the girls’ new friendship.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being present with books:

  • “In this world, who sits down and takes time to not even look at anything, right? There's no screen, there's no flashing lights, there's no bells and whistles. We're just talking about books and telling stories.” – Faith Moore (01:09)

• On Sara’s imagination:

  • “What I believe about dolls is that they can do things they will not let us know about.” – Sara Crewe (31:03)

• On Miss Minchin’s priorities:

  • “She was very like her house, she being Miss Minchin. Sara felt tall and dull and respectable and ugly. She had large, cold, fishy eyes and a large, cold, fishy smile.” (26:57)

• Monsieur Dufarge’s delight:

  • “Ah, Madame, there is not much I can teach her. She has not learned French. She is French. Her accent is exquisite.” – Monsieur Dufarge (38:47)

• On emotional resonance:

  • “Listening to this story again as an adult, I can't imagine leaving my little girl in a different country. As a child, I'm sure I related to Sara, but today as a parent, I'm crying for this poor father.” – Listener Becca (13:28)

• On Sara’s courage:

  • “I promised him I would bear it, she said, and I will. You have to bear things. Think what soldiers bear.” – Sara Crewe (53:13)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Listener community and activities: 00:02–09:45
• Chapter 1 recap: 09:46–11:51
• Listener questions read and answered: 11:52–27:40
• Insights into the novel’s setting, customs, and character dynamics: 20:00–28:00
• Chapter 2 reading and French lesson scene: 27:41–41:56
• Sara’s kindness to Ermengarde and their budding friendship: 41:57–end

Tone & Style

Faith’s approach is gentle, nurturing, and filled with literary enthusiasm. She addresses both young and adult listeners with warmth and patience, balancing historical context with open-ended questions and invitations for further discussion. Her narrative voice emphasizes both the emotional depth of the novel and the joys of reading together as a community.

Concluding invitation:
“Don't forget to write to me. It's faithkmoore.com Click on Contact, or you can scroll into the show notes and find the link. If you're a kid, please just let me know how old you are... grown ups, please also keep writing in.” (29:48)

In Summary

This episode transports listeners into the heart of A Little Princess, enriching the reading experience with accessible context, shared listener curiosity, and an emphasis on emotional connection—both to literature and to one another. The combination of close reading, historical notes, and lively listener interaction cements Storytime for Grownups as a welcoming space to rediscover classic stories in good company.