Goslings

"Goslings" by J. D. (John Davys) Beresford is a story focused on George Gosling, a seemingly ordinary middle-class man, as he lives within the rigid rules of society, blind to the hidden passions and wants that simmer beneath the surface of his everyday life. The beginning of the book introduces George and his wife in their normal home life as they wait for their daughters to come back from shopping; it shows George's journey from being poor to gaining a stable middle-class life, and also hints at his secret wants alongside the careful balance between what is expected of him and what he really wants. As the Gosling family plans for another quiet night at home, they start hearing news about a scary "new plague" that is rapidly spreading from China to Russia; this hints that a big crisis is headed their way. The first few chapters show interesting conversations and detailed character development, creating a sense of personal and social tension that is bound to explode as the story moves forward.