Onward: Or, the Mountain Clamberers : a Tale of Progress

Onward: Or, The Mountain Clamberers : A Tale Of Progress by Jane Anne Winscom is a devotional fiction set in Victorian England. Framed as a parable of spiritual ascent, the narrative follows a circle of Devout Christians—the Alleyne family and their neighbors—as they strive to climb “from strength to strength” toward Zion. Central figures such as Ethie (Ethelda), her brother Rowland, Hubert, Gertrude, and their father, navigate trials of illness, temptation, and sorrow, while acts of mercy, faith, and evangelism shape their journey. The book interweaves vivid episodes—visits to the sand-huts, conversions of skeptical hearts like Sir Claude Wentworth and Rabbi Moses, and the care for the poor and uninstructed—into a larger allegory of moral progress under God. The Preface proclaims the work’s aim: to encourage the young to press forward in Christian virtue, trusting in Jesus as guide and crown. The result is a didactic tale that blends domestic drama with religious exhortation and the promise of heavenly reward.