The Getting of Wisdom

The Getting of Wisdom brings Henry Handel Richardson’s approach to children’s, fiction into clear focus first published in 1910. Henry Handel Richardson uses the form to consider curiosity, growth, imagination, friendship, and the testing of values, keeping the emphasis on how ideas become choices, conflicts, and consequences. Rather than depending on topical novelty, the book builds its interest through the interaction of character, situation, and idea. Henry Handel Richardson relies on a clear, lively style designed to make wonder and danger immediately accessible, allowing mood and structure to carry as much meaning as subject matter. At roughly 73,928 words with a fairly easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Its continuing value lies in its place in the development of literature written for younger readers. For modern readers, the pleasure comes from entering its particular world while noticing how its central concerns still shape personal and public life.