The Old House: A Novel

"The Old House: A Novel" by Cécile Tormay is a story about Christopher Ulwing, a skilled builder, and how he's connected to his family's history and the city changing around him. As he deals with what he wants in life, his relationships with his family, and how society is changing, the book looks at the ideas of tradition, moving forward, and his own struggles, all set in a world that's going through changes. The story starts on a winter evening in Pest, Hungary, where Christopher Ulwing gets to his new house, representing something important for him and the community. We see him with his family, like his son John Hubert, and their loyal servant, showing a mix of remembering the past and dealing with what's expected of him. He thinks about his family's past, which has made him who he is. The everyday life of his family is mixed with bigger social and political changes and local happenings, hinting at problems to come for Ulwing and the people around him, and suggesting the difficulties that will test what he believes in and his relationships.