We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I

A young narrator looks back on a quiet, north‑English countryside childhood, where the rhythm of hay‑fields and the chatter of livestock set the backdrop for his family’s modest life. His mother’s steady optimism and his father’s practical concerns frame a world of inherited values, while a younger brother, Jem, embodies the steady, dependable yeoman who never quite reaches for the books that so fascinate his sibling.

From early memories of chasing a rogue cow with a makeshift stick to riding the old black cart‑horse Laddie, the story captures the intimate bond between boys and the land that raises them. Yet beneath the familiar farm chores lies a restless curiosity, a yearning to lift his head from the fields and explore the wider world through reading. This gentle, reflective opening invites listeners to share the tender mix of familial duty, simple pleasures, and the first stirrings of a mind that longs for adventure beyond the hedgerows.