
A cold November evening settles over fog‑shrouded London, and the modest Wyndham household in Streatham gathers around a flickering fire. Mother and five children—two teenage girls, a younger sister, and twin boys—navigate the cramped, threadbare room while worrying about their father's health and the relentless chill outside. The scene captures a family bound by affection yet strained by financial worries and the pressures of a bustling newspaper career.
Ruth, the eldest daughter, stands out as the father's confidante, sharing his ambitions and shouldering responsibilities beyond her years. As the fog thickens, the children's routine tasks hint at deeper tensions: a strained marriage, the looming threat of illness, and the precarious balance between duty and desire. Listeners are drawn into a portrait of everyday resilience, awaiting the choices that will test the Wyndham's unity.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (389K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: The Religious Tract Society, 1910.
Release date
2023-04-06
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
A prolific English writer of children's and young adult fiction, she built stories around courage, kindness, family life, and steady moral choices. Her books were widely read in the late Victorian and early 20th-century period, and many still feel warm and approachable today.
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