46 pages • 1 hour read
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All the Gentlemen Bastards are orphans, and when they come to the Temple of Perelandro, they enter a new family of sorts. Father Chains says so directly when Jean arrives at the temple. “Father Chains poured [...] toasts, dedicating the last to ‘Jean Tannen, who lost one family but came to another soon enough’” (315). The Bastards live, work, and play together; they learn from each other and have no choice but to trust each other. They bond fast and forever.
Father Chains made the Temple what it is, and provides a safe and challenging environment that’s also a stimulating school. The Bastards trust each other in part because Father Chains trusts each of them, and because he gives the children reasons to trust him. He’s a “father” because he’s a priest, but he truly is the adoptive father of all the Bastards. In a city that chews children up and spits them out, Chains is a rarity. Chains shows the children what genuine love looks like. They remember Chains’s lessons and legacy and continue it after he dies.
Action & Adventure
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Books on Justice & Injustice
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Challenging Authority
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Childhood & Youth
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Class
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Class
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Coming-of-Age Journeys
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Community
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Family
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Fantasy
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Fear
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Good & Evil
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Grief
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Guilt
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Hate & Anger
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Loyalty & Betrayal
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Memory
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Mortality & Death
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Mystery & Crime
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Nation & Nationalism
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Order & Chaos
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Power
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Pride & Shame
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Revenge
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Safety & Danger
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Teams & Gangs
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The Past
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Trust & Doubt
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Truth & Lies
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