Unknown Masterpiece-Honoré de Balzac

The Freelands family is a mixture: Tod Freeland is an uncommunicative gentle giant, his wife Kirsteen passionate and free-spoken, Felix is a literary man, Stanley the man of business, John is in politics. Their mother is a practical uncomprehending old lady while Nedda and Derek, the younger generation and cousins, fall head over heels in love. The story revolves around the ‘land question’ which was the chief matter of moment when the novel was written – British agriculture was depressed as imported food (chiefly from the USA) meant that domestic farmers were struggling. The rich landowners pay scant attention to the wishes and rights of the labourers on their land. The Freelands find themselves on both sides of the divide and the ensuing struggle involves them all. There is therefore much social commentary in the book, but it is also a tender love story and an insight into how different members of one family can think differently while still bonded together. (Summary by Simon Evers)