Boston Common: Tale Of Our Own Times - Softcover

R. G. Varnham

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0461324849 ISBN 13: 9780461324846

Publisher: HardPress, 2021

Synopsis

Boston Common: Tale Of Our Own Times. In late 1830s-1840s Boston, a circle of families around Helen Hastings navigates poverty, moral testing, temperance, and social judgment. Helen, a devoted wife and mother, faces loss and illness as her husband Roland Hastings struggles with drink and gambling. Ernest Richmond, Helen's cousin and a respected minister, embodies steadfast faith and becomes a central moral guide (and a potential partner) as the family faces crises at boarding houses, the rumseller's shop, and Grace Warrington's troubling influence. Kate Merton serves as a practical, stabilizing friend, while Letitia Milford represents vanity and social climbing. Across dangerous nights by the pier, arrivals and departures of visitors, and episodes of affection and betrayal, the story probes virtue, duty, and Providence. The narrative critiques urban poverty, gender expectations, and the temptations of social life, while tracing Helen's development, the reformist impulse of the era, and the possibility of renewal through faith, sacrifice, and community. The arc culminates in spiritual reconciliation and a renewed life shaped by moral fidelity.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0461324849
• ISBN 13: 9780461324846
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 580