Woodburn Grange: A story of English country life; vol. 1 of 3

"Woodburn Grange: A Story of English Country Life; vol. 1 of 3" by William Howitt is a tale set in the late 1800s, where the reader meets Sir Roger Rockville, the final member of the Rockville family, as he struggles with loneliness and watches his family's status fade away in the changing English countryside. The story introduces Mrs. Deg, a widow, and her son Simon, as they represent a new social class rising up, contrasting with the established gentry. Sir Roger's declining estate stands in contrast to the growing town of Great Castleborough, showing a big shift in society. Simon Deg, once poor but now on the rise, highlights this contrast, hinting at conflict between the old aristocratic ways and the new realities forming in the community. The beginning sets up these different characters and introduces themes about class and community in rural England.