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Children of the Sun
First published in the 1950s, this book deals with the plight of the urchins of Naples, homeless boys who sleep in doorways, and beg and steal and scratch along as best they can, unprotected by the State. Padre Mario Borrelli sets out to help, and embarks on a journey of self-transformation.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
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About the author
Morris L. West
134 books174 followersMorris Langlo West was born in St Kilda, Melbourne in 1916. At the age of fourteen, he entered the Christian Brothers seminary ‘as a kind of refuge’ from a difficult childhood. He attended the University of Melbourne and worked as a teacher. In 1941 he left the Christian Brothers without taking final vows. In World War II he worked as a code-breaker, and for a time he was private secretary to former prime minister Billy Hughes.
After the war, West became a successful writer and producer of radio serials. In 1955 he left Australia to build an international career as a writer. With his family, he lived in Austria, Italy, England and the USA, including a stint as the Vatican correspondent for the British newspaper, the Daily Mail. He returned to Australia in 1982.
Morris West wrote 30 books and many plays, and several of his novels were adapted for film. His books were published in 28 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies.
West received many awards and accolades over his long writing career, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the W.H. Heinemann Award of the Royal Society of Literature for The Devil's Advocate. In 1978 he was elected a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1985, and was made an Officer of the Order (AO) in 1997.
Morris West died at his desk in 1999.
After the war, West became a successful writer and producer of radio serials. In 1955 he left Australia to build an international career as a writer. With his family, he lived in Austria, Italy, England and the USA, including a stint as the Vatican correspondent for the British newspaper, the Daily Mail. He returned to Australia in 1982.
Morris West wrote 30 books and many plays, and several of his novels were adapted for film. His books were published in 28 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies.
West received many awards and accolades over his long writing career, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the W.H. Heinemann Award of the Royal Society of Literature for The Devil's Advocate. In 1978 he was elected a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1985, and was made an Officer of the Order (AO) in 1997.
Morris West died at his desk in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 22, 2023
This book was beautifully written in 1953, when the author spends some time in Naples, Italy, with the only purpose of study and understand the causes of unemployment and poverty that afflicted Naples at that time. He dresses as a poor man and mingles with the population, feeling the daily pain of the people, mainly the children who run and sleep on the streets. He observes their inexistent future and feels anger when understands that the ‘system” is deeply corrupted, favoring the rich at the expense of the poor. The church is also corrupted and favors political parties, becoming part of the same “system”. Morris West doesn't only describe well the financially misery of the Neapolitan people, but he has a way to use words to describe in depth the emotional pain that becomes part of their daily lives. There are few men with the courage to stand up and try to improve the lives of these children, like priests Borelli and Spada, who found a house for the children to live with some dignity. No one dares to oppose the wealthy or to go against the “system” as they end up paying a high price.
This book was written in 1953 but it is current because many children today live under these conditions and have no future, We see them in the four corners of the world, like in Africa, Asia, America, Europe, Middle East, etc. Still today Naples struggles with unemployment and poverty. With the money we spend in wars that only favor the wealthy, we could feed every person in our Planet, and everyone could lead a decent life.
Regarding the rich being afraid of the poor, Morris West perfectly describes the reason for this fear when he says:
"... It is true [this fear of the poor] exists for individuals, societies, and nations. If I am rich, I do not like to be reminded that there are children sleeping in ditches. It causes me a bad feeling, sours my wine, spoils my rest. If I have good manners and well-mannered friends, it annoys me to have to associate with those who break bread with their fingers and make noise while eating their soup. If I have two bathrooms, I prefer to ignore the fact that there are thousands of them without running water. What I own seems to me to be threatened, and I don't feel secure about my rights... I begin to be afraid. And because I am afraid, I become haughty, tyrannical and oppose education and reforms. Fear engenders selfishness and selfishness leads to envy, hatred, and suspicion. This is how wars originate, and revolutions too."
Thou seventy years have passed since Morris West witnessed these events, this book is still current and every day we pass children of the shadows. They are the ones without identity to us, that disappear in the busy background of the cities, because their poverty makes us feel guilty, scares us and we try to say they are not our problem. They become our problem when they revolt and a revolution starts.
This book was written in 1953 but it is current because many children today live under these conditions and have no future, We see them in the four corners of the world, like in Africa, Asia, America, Europe, Middle East, etc. Still today Naples struggles with unemployment and poverty. With the money we spend in wars that only favor the wealthy, we could feed every person in our Planet, and everyone could lead a decent life.
Regarding the rich being afraid of the poor, Morris West perfectly describes the reason for this fear when he says:
"... It is true [this fear of the poor] exists for individuals, societies, and nations. If I am rich, I do not like to be reminded that there are children sleeping in ditches. It causes me a bad feeling, sours my wine, spoils my rest. If I have good manners and well-mannered friends, it annoys me to have to associate with those who break bread with their fingers and make noise while eating their soup. If I have two bathrooms, I prefer to ignore the fact that there are thousands of them without running water. What I own seems to me to be threatened, and I don't feel secure about my rights... I begin to be afraid. And because I am afraid, I become haughty, tyrannical and oppose education and reforms. Fear engenders selfishness and selfishness leads to envy, hatred, and suspicion. This is how wars originate, and revolutions too."
Thou seventy years have passed since Morris West witnessed these events, this book is still current and every day we pass children of the shadows. They are the ones without identity to us, that disappear in the busy background of the cities, because their poverty makes us feel guilty, scares us and we try to say they are not our problem. They become our problem when they revolt and a revolution starts.
October 26, 2025
occasionally lacks coherence but is so very full of humanity
August 16, 2022
Este es un documental sobre la miseria desde la inocente postura del no-político. Obviando los capítulos, consta de tres partes principales que hacen a la evolución de la narrativa: la primera es una descripción de la miseria contada progresivamente, desde lo más oscuro hacia lo más entendible desde fuera de la misma, y esta progresión que hace base en la cotidianeidad de los bassi explica el comportamiento que en ellos existe de forma acertada; la segunda parte se centra en los parapetos políticos que dificultan el accionar del escritor/protagonista y la lectura aquí parece estancarse de la misma forma, parece que los párrafos están llenos de esa burocracia y corrupción que relata y se hace incluso incómodo de seguir leyendo; al lograr pasar eso, la tercera parte es una ebullición emocional de la ira acumulada ante la impotencia misma, en esta parte final puede suceder que el lector se ha acostumbrado ya a la miseria de Nápoles y el truco literario consiste en un salpicón de agua fría que hace dar cuenta, ahora mejor, de todo lo contado. Morris me ha dejado nuevamente con la mirada ausente al dar vuelta la última página. Profunda incomodidad.
January 10, 2019
An interesting journey into Italy (Naples) in the 1950s. Dated, disturbing, and uplifting. It does not take much insight to realise that the conditions described in the book apply today in certain parts of the world.
September 17, 2018
dated, but intresting expose.
Read
May 15, 2024A must read book about the orphans in Napoles, Italy, generated by the 2nd WW and also about a great man that gave the support they needed.
July 17, 2024
Por vezes tendencioso (a vários níveis) mas não posso negar que me impactou
March 30, 2020
Every now and then I read a book that completely humbles me. "Mister God This Is Anna" was one such book. This is another.
January 12, 2026
The leaven of goodness works very, very slowly (111). The story of a priest who abandoned his collar, and lived in the slums of Naples, building relationships with the children of the streets, founding a home they freely belonged to. I long for this to be my own future, and pray to myself possess the courage that Father Borelli was given.
"To destroy an edifice is a simple matter. You can do it with the change of dynamite. To replace it with a new building is the work of years" (49).
"I pointed to the sallow-faced boys who were being trained for the priesthood in the seminary of Sorrento, drilled with the dated humanities of the 19th century, stuffed with the cliches of piety, segregated from the world, which one day they would have to teach and reform" (48).
"I was angry. I was bitter. I knew that I could not remain a priest unless I did something worthy of a priest. I could not stand at the altar and hold the body of God in my hands while the bodies of his children slept in the alleys and under the barrows in the Mercato" (80).
"If the church refuses this work, it is not the church of God" (82).
"If to be a priest of Christ meant to desert the children of Christ, then, he felt, he did not want to be a priest" (83).
"To destroy an edifice is a simple matter. You can do it with the change of dynamite. To replace it with a new building is the work of years" (49).
"I pointed to the sallow-faced boys who were being trained for the priesthood in the seminary of Sorrento, drilled with the dated humanities of the 19th century, stuffed with the cliches of piety, segregated from the world, which one day they would have to teach and reform" (48).
"I was angry. I was bitter. I knew that I could not remain a priest unless I did something worthy of a priest. I could not stand at the altar and hold the body of God in my hands while the bodies of his children slept in the alleys and under the barrows in the Mercato" (80).
"If the church refuses this work, it is not the church of God" (82).
"If to be a priest of Christ meant to desert the children of Christ, then, he felt, he did not want to be a priest" (83).
February 3, 2016
For an early work, it is pretty good West. This is basically autobiographical, about a project in Naples that he wanted to bring to the world's attention.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews