
A fragile infant is born into a world of hardship, his mother’s frail health and the looming threat of loss casting a somber shadow over his first moments. The opening scenes linger on the tender, desperate attempts of a mother and a nurse to protect the child, while a doctor confronts the stark realities of illness and mortality that will shape the family’s future.
Soon after, the child, now a curious boy named Philip, retreats into an imaginative realm of makeshift forts and imagined wild frontiers, seeking refuge from the grief that surrounds him. As he navigates the expectations of caretakers and the unsettling knowledge that his mother will never return, Philip’s yearning for purpose and identity begins to surface, setting the stage for a lifelong quest for meaning.
Language
en
Duration
~24 hours (1403K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
1995-10-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1874–1965
Known for clear, graceful prose and a sharp eye for human weakness, he became one of the most widely read English writers of the 20th century. His novels, stories, and plays often mix wit, travel, and hard-earned insight about love, ambition, and illusion.
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