In Connection with the De Willoughby Claim

"In Connection with the De Willoughby Claim" by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a story set in a late 1800s small town that examines identity, social class, and obligation through Tom D'Willerby, a postmaster who takes in an orphaned child. Tom struggles with his own feelings of not being good enough while trying to meet society’s standards and handle his new duties. The story begins in Talbot’s Cross-roads on a sweltering afternoon, creating an atmosphere of laid-back country living as the lazy but likeable Tom D’Willerby is introduced. When a mysterious newcomer arrives, the town becomes curious and the plot starts to thicken. Touching on themes of social differences, devotion, and how choices affect people, the characters are unknowingly heading toward life-altering events.