Hello and welcome to Story Time for Grownups.

I'm Faith Moore, and this season we're reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.

Each episode I'll read a few chapters from the book,

pausing from time to time to give brief explanations, so it's easier to follow along.

It's like an audiobook with built-in notes.

So brew a pot of tea, find a cozy chair, and settle in. Thanks for being here. I'm always so happy to be here with you. You know, I've recently taken up embroidery, and I'm not very good at it at all, but I'm trying this one that's like a bird on a branch

and the branch is covered with beautiful, or at least they are supposed to be beautiful, probably

they won't be beautiful when I'm done with them, but beautiful blossoms, pink cherry blossoms.

And the other day I saw the first Robin Redbreast, which is the first sign of spring, I'm told.

So spring is in the air, or at least in my imagination, because it's actually quite cloudy and rainy out there still and quite cold.

But I'm really, really ready.

I keep saying this. I'm very ready for spring,

and I keep looking at my weather app, and it promises that some warmer weather is coming,

and then it keeps kind of changing its mind. So we'll see. I'm sure eventually it will be spring,

but I hope that you are warm and cozy wherever you are, either because you have your lovely cup of tea

and you're under your blanket, or because it's actually warm where you are, or maybe just because

you're imagining your lovely cup of tea in your mind. Whatever it is, whatever you're doing,

I'm so glad that you're here. Thank you for joining me for story time. We're going to be reading

chapter 18 today.

Last time we read chapter 17, chapter 18 is a bit shorter, so we've got a short one this time.

But we have quite a bit to talk about first. I got some great comments and questions, some lovely

letters. I'm always so happy to see your letters in my inbox. I love them. So I'm going to read

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