A Girl of the Commune

In the bustling cathedral town of Abchester, Jeremiah Brander is the very picture of respectability. A solicitor of long standing, he fills dozens of civic posts—town clerk, bank solicitor, deacon, and musical society president—while maintaining a comfortable home behind a high garden wall. His marriage to Eliza, the daughter of a once‑prominent county family, adds a subtle social advantage, and together they raise three daughters in a world of propriety and public service.

When Eliza quietly urges Jerry to “do something” beyond his endless duties, a new stir begins to ripple through the household. Their youngest daughter, drawn to the ideas of a nearby commune, represents a challenge to the rigid expectations of Abchester society. As the Brander family grapples with loyalty, ambition, and the allure of a different way of life, listeners are invited to watch a portrait of Victorian respectability confront the first tremors of change.