The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain with Ivana Greco and Dixie Dillon Lane
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain with Ivana Greco and Dixie Dillon Lane  
Podcast: Christians Reading Classics
Published On: Thu Apr 09 2026
Description: div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8'> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown'> Nadya Williams, Ivana Greco, and Dixie Dillon Lane discuss Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer — 150 years old this year — as a window into antebellum American childhood, the timeless challenge of raising boys, and what it means to read classics across generations. Why does Twain's rapscallion hero outlast Sid in the cultural imagination? What does Aunt Polly's long-suffering love reveal about providence and parenting? And which American classics deserve a second look in the year of America 250? — Get the ebook Spiritual Formation for the Family for free at http://mereorthodoxy.com/family Christians Reading Classics is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Apply for Beeson Divinity School's Ph.D program by April 1 for Fall 2026 admission here: https://bit.ly/BeesonDivinityPhD — Chapter 00:00 - Introduction & what makes an American classic 03:00 - Favorite American classics for children 04:15 - Can you hate a classic? What parents look for 06:52 - Books build culture 08:45 - How parenting changes reading habits 11:58 - Entering Tom Sawyer: the world of the novel 13:51 - Tom's misadventures (and Ivana's canoe confession) 18:06 - The cast of characters: Tom, Huck, Becky, Aunt Polly 24:12 - Reading Tom Sawyer historically: slavery, race, and context 26:50 - Who is really raising Tom Sawyer? 31:16 - What would you do if you were raising Tom? 34:51 - Tom, women, and the civilizing impulse 38:44 - How a book about mischief became a great American novel '>Christians Reading Classics is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership.Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy