'... in assembling a wide array of literary and non-literary evidence (including interesting observations about infancy gospel narratives and their intertextuality with secular enfances), Gaffney’s book demonstrates that imaginative literature has a significant part to play in the cultural history of childhood.' Modern Language Review '... this is an enlightening and satisfying study of a significant thread of cultural history.' French Studies ’...offers some fascinating insights into the changing representations of young people in Old French verse narrative, and will certainly appeal to scholars researching constructions of childhood and youth, but should also be of interest to scholars of Old French literature more broadly.’ Medium Aevum '... anyone wanting an overview of Old French narrative texts that deal with childhood and adolescence in the high Middle Ages could do no better than consult Gaffney’s monograph. ... Gaffney’s study is entirely scholarly and will be extremely useful for students and researchers working in the field of Old French literature.' H-France