
Set against the bleak, war‑scarred landscape of Belgium, this collection follows an American relief worker as he traverses the moonlit countryside, encountering a world where desperation and dignity coexist. Through vivid scenes of a broken tire, a distant cannon’s roar, and the quiet perseverance of villagers, the narrative captures the fragile hope that springs from humanitarian aid in a land starved of resources.
The storyteller’s encounters— from the enigmatic residents of Gheel, a town caring for the mentally ill, to a lone village watchman clutching his pipe—offer glimpses into the everyday heroism of ordinary people. Their conversations, tinged with curiosity and the occasional humor, reveal how compassion and solidarity can blossom even amid the shadows of conflict. Listeners will be drawn into the intimate, human side of wartime Belgium, feeling both the weight of its hardships and the lightness of its resilient spirit.
Full title
Tales from a Famished Land Including The White Island—A Story of the Dardanelles
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (170K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Clarity and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2015-08-15
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1885–1953
A writer, relief worker, and public servant, he moved from medieval literature into the urgent realities of war, famine, and economic change. His books draw on firsthand experience in Belgium and Europe during World War I, giving them both immediacy and historical weight.
View all books