Charles Dickens' creation of characters in his novels History is written by historians, and the voices of ordinary people are rarely featured, but this unique collection of interviews from the middle of the 19th century allows their voices to be heard. The journalist Henry Mayhew tramped the streets of London interviewing working people; this selection from his work London Labour and the London Poor shows how they coped with the ups and downs of health and illness while continuing with the daily trial of scratching a living and feeding their families. The people Mayhew met showed remarkable resilience and a surprising sense of humor about their lot in life.

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