A Crooked Mile

"A Crooked Mile" by Oliver Onions is a novel that starts with the story of Lady Tasker, an elderly woman of seventy, struggling in the maze of the London Underground on her way to see friends in Hampstead. Lost in an unknown part of the city, the characters she meets, like a helpful officer alongside the unusual Cosimo and Amory Pratt, begin to show ideas about differences in social standing, the gap between generations, and maybe even how strange modern life can be. The story opens with a lighthearted feel as Lady Tasker deals with being lost and also wanting to visit the Pratts, and her conversations show how determined she is, as well as her thoughts on life as she finds her way through the city. When she finally gets to the Pratts' house, she sees a big difference between her old-fashioned ways and the Pratts' modern artistic friends, and she also learns something surprising about people who seem unseen, hinting at deeper thoughts about society. As Lady Tasker spends time visiting, the reader encounters a setting full of interesting people and hidden thoughts on the world around them.