Folly Corner

"Folly Corner" by Mrs. Henry Dudeney is a late 19th-century novel exploring social relationships along with love and the clash between old ways and new ideas, mainly through the lives of two women. Pamela Crisp, a young woman from London seeking a secure life, comes face to face with Gainah Toat, the experienced housekeeper at Folly Corner, who is suspicious of the changes Pamela brings. Readers are thrown into a story that starts during a hot summer day in London, where Pamela considers her uncertain future before traveling to Folly Corner, the family's estate. She is anxious about meeting her cousin, Jethro Jayne, and the presence of Gainah, who has always been in charge of the household. Meanwhile, Jethro, described as a likeable farmer, thinks deeply about his wish for change and the mysterious cousin who answered his offer for a wife. The story is full of complex feelings, resulting in a meeting of old loyalties and new chances as Pamela thinks about her place in the family and in her own life.