11 h 18 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the lessons your father teaches you are preparation for a mission he cannot yet explain?
In shabby London lodgings, Marco Loristan learns to notice every detail and keep what he knows to himself. His father, Stefan, gives his money and time to Samavia, a homeland torn by war. Marco is ready to serve, but the purpose of his training remains hidden.
Then Marco meets the Rat, a bold, sharp-tongued street boy who longs to belong. A secret errand sends the two boys across Europe with a message for Samavian patriots. Nothing can go on paper: a letter can be stopped and read, putting their mission at risk.
What you’ll discover
- A memory trained for secrets Watch Marco turn the simple act of looking into preparation for a hidden task.
- An unlikely companion Meet the Rat, whose quick mind and hunger to belong draw him into Marco's cause.
- A homeland worth serving Discover Samavia through an exiled father's devotion and a son's readiness to help.
- A message without paper Follow two boys across Europe on an errand that depends on memory and secrecy.
- Duty beyond comfort Explore what loyalty asks of people who give their spare coins and hours to their homeland.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers who like quests, secret missions and old legends, and those who enjoy Burnett's warm, moral storytelling. It may suit you less if you want a fast modern thriller, since the tone is earnest and its patriotism belongs to its time.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A poor household hides a great purpose
- A boy is trained to see and remember
- A lame street boy finds a leader
- A secret errand sends the boys across Europe
- Loyalty matters more than comfort or safety
- A fairy tale told in wartime
Who’s who
- Marco LoristanA quiet, observant boy raised in poverty, trained by his father to remember everything and keep secrets, and ready to serve Samavia.
- Stefan LoristanMarco's father, a dignified Samavian exile who gives everything to his homeland and trains his son for a hidden task.
- LazarusThe Loristans' huge, silent servant, devoted to Stefan and Marco and always ready to guard and protect them.
- The RatA lame, sharp-tongued London street boy who longs for something to belong to and finds it in Marco's cause.
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Lost Prince
by Frances Hodgson Burnett· 1915
Two boys carry a secret message across Europe.
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Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
A poor household hides a great purpose
The story opens in London, where Marco and his father live in a shabby rented room. Stefan Loristan is a Samavian, and his homeland is torn by war and by rulers who have taken its throne. Yet the household has no comfort. Meals are plain, the furniture is worn, and callers come and go in strange ways.
One person keeps this home running. He is Lazarus, a huge and faithful servant who has served the Loristans for years. He cooks, guards, and obeys Stefan without question. His size and his silence make him a kind of fortress, and Marco loves him as family.
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The author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
1849–1924 · English-American novelist and playwright
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was a novelist and playwright born in Manchester, England. She moved to the United States in 1865 and later lived in England and New York. Her books include Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911). She died in New York.
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What is The Lost Prince about?
It tells of Marco Loristan, a poor boy in London whose father serves the exiled cause of Samavia. Trained in memory and secrecy, Marco takes a secret message across Europe with a street boy called the Rat.
Is Samavia a real country?
No. Samavia is an invented land in the Balkans that Burnett created for the story. Her portrait of a small nation struggling under harsh rulers echoes real events in Europe around the time she wrote.
When was The Lost Prince written?
Frances Hodgson Burnett published it in 1915, during the first year of the Great War. Its themes of duty, patriotism and young people serving a cause reflect the mood of that time.
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