audiobook
Set against the turbulent close of the nineteenth century, the narrative opens in an England exhausted by stale leadership. A sudden wave of youthful reformers sweeps the House of Commons, mandating a radical “superannuation” law that bars anyone over thirty‑five from office. Determined to restore order, they unleash a harsh penal code that expands capital punishment, targeting not only violent offenders but anyone deemed a continual threat to society.
Against this backdrop, a remote island emerges as a grim sanctuary for those cast out—criminals, dissenters, and self‑styled anarchists forced to confront their own survival. As the new regime’s uncompromising policies ripple outward, the story follows the lives of those exiled to the island, exposing the clash between youthful zeal for order and the human cost of absolute authority. Listeners are drawn into a tense, thought‑provoking portrait of a nation grappling with the age of its leaders and the price of a rigid quest for security.
Language
en
Duration
~58 minutes (56K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: Miss Langley, Lovejoy's Library,1887.
Credits
Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Release date
2022-11-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1834–1918
A gifted organizer, craftswoman, and writer in the Arts and Crafts world, she helped turn village metalwork at Yattendon into a respected local industry. She is also remembered for practical books and for the lively artistic life she shared with architect Alfred Waterhouse.
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