
ONE: BIRDS IN THE SNOW
TWO: PLOUGH MONDAY
THREE: SOTHEBY’S SHOP
FOUR: THE TRAPEZE BOY
FIVE: THE FROST HELD
SIX: WINGED SEEDS
SEVEN: THE BURNT FARM
EIGHT: WILLOW-PATTERN PARIS
NINE: BIRTHDAY TEA
TEN: NO GOOD-BYES
In a quiet rural parish, a snow‑blanketed morning turns the familiar landscape into something almost holy. Reverend Charles Dunnock watches from his bedroom as heavy drifts mute every footfall, turning the churchyard, the sycamore, and his own grief into a still white tableau. While feeding birds and reading a parish circular, his thoughts drift between memories of his late wife and the steady ticking of clocks that mark both sorrow and routine. The scene blends gentle humor with a deep longing, inviting listeners into a world where the ordinary is illuminated by frost.
The story follows Dunnock’s attempts to navigate daily duties—school runs, a blacksmith’s visit, and the quiet rituals of his small community—while the snow continues to fall like soft feathers. Through witty internal monologue and vivid description, he reflects on faith, duty, and the small miracles that appear in everyday moments. Listeners will be drawn into the charm of Dry Coulter’s countryside and the tender, sometimes absurd, struggle of a man trying to keep his heart warm against the cold.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (282K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Alfred A Knopf, 1927.
Credits
Steve Mattern, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2023-01-16
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1892–1981
Best known for the strange, elegant classic Lady into Fox, this English writer brought wit, fantasy, and a slightly offbeat imagination to modern fiction. He moved in the Bloomsbury world and wrote stories that still feel fresh for their mix of playfulness and unease.
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