Project Gutenberg 2004-03-01 Public domain in the USA. 123 Burnett, Frances Hodgson 1849 1924 Townesend, Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett Hodgson, Frances Eliza The Little Hunchback Zia Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team "The Little Hunchback Zia" by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a children's novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around Zia, a deformed child living in a bleak and oppressive environment, who goes on a journey filled with hardship, self-discovery, and spiritual awakening. The themes of compassion, resilience, and the quest for acceptance are central to Zia's experiences and interactions with those around him. The narrative follows Zia, a little hunchback boy who is shunned and mistreated due to his deformity, causing him to flee from the only home he knows. As he wanders through the night, he struggles with fear and loneliness, encountering different individuals who react to his appearance with mixed emotions. His journey leads him ultimately to Bethlehem, where he finds solace and a mystical transformation after witnessing the birth of a child that embodies light and hope. Zia's character evolves from one of deep shame and self-loathing to a place of liberation and joy, culminating in his healing and recognition of his inherent worth. The story beautifully captures the struggle for acceptance and the redemptive power of love and kindness. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 88.3 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Christmas stories PS Text Children's Literature Category: Children & Young Adult Reading Category: Novels 66597 2025-08-03T03:52:32.175464 text/html 66418 2025-01-09T18:51:34.136233 text/html 97252 2025-08-03T03:52:37.005430 application/epub+zip 96049 2025-08-03T03:52:34.864474 application/epub+zip 85715 2025-08-03T03:52:33.772463 application/epub+zip 176696 2025-08-03T03:52:38.584958 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 169452 2025-08-03T03:52:36.382425 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 137812 2022-09-03T06:48:18.960526 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 56043 2025-08-03T03:52:31.945473 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 55991 2012-09-01T14:55:40 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17421 2025-08-03T03:52:38.708913 application/rdf+xml 11064 2025-08-03T03:52:34.321463 image/jpeg 2859 2025-08-03T03:52:34.074439 image/jpeg 21503 2012-09-01T14:59:24 application/octet-stream application/zip 95581 2025-08-03T03:52:32.182461 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia