A Son of the Soil

"A Son of the Soil" by Mrs. Oliphant is a 19th-century story set in the rugged Highlands of Scotland, about a pair of boys—rivals because of both their personalities as well as the wide gap between their social classes—as they grow up in the village of Ramore; the novel explores what it means to want more than what you have. The story opens with an Etonian boy visiting the area, where the privileged student encounters a local boy named Colin who lives there. Their interaction sparks immediate resentment because the Etonian looks down on Colin and Colin resents the rich boy for the advantages he’s been afforded, especially as it plays out inside of Colin's own family's home. Through family drama and social commentary, the novel creates the backgrounds that will lead to conflict and change in the boys' lives.