Whitewash

"Whitewash" by Horace Annesley Vachell is a story set in the early 1900s, centered around Lady Selina Chandos, a determined widow running her estate while juggling complicated relationships with the people around her. The book starts by showing Lady Selina dealing with the challenges of her estate after her husband passed away. As she gets ready for a local fair, she thinks a lot about having to evict a tenant named Ephraim Exton, even though he's been there a long time, because he hasn't taken care of his property. This shows that she's kind but also serious about managing her land well. Her conversations with her children, Brian and Cicely, and the local priest, Mr. Goodrich, highlight what the community expects from her. The story hints at social problems and tough choices she faces as the world changes and new ideas clash with old traditions.