Hector Malot

Born in La Bouille in 1830, Malot studied law in Rouen and Paris before turning to literature full-time. He made his living as a dramatic and literary critic, writing for Lloyd Francais and L'Opinion Nationale. His first novel, Les Amants, appeared in 1859, and he went on to publish over 70 books. In 1878 came Sans Famille, the story of young Remi, an orphan sold at age eight to a traveling street musician named Vitalis. The novel wasn't written for children, but it found them anyway and became his enduring work. Malot died in 1907.