The Trees of Pride

"The Trees of Pride" by G. K. Chesterton is a captivating story set in the early 1900s, following the adventures of Squire Vane and his daughter Barbara in Cornwall. Squire Vane, a man of reason, finds himself surrounded by superstitious neighbors who believe the peacock trees in his garden bring bad luck and insanity and is caught between the lore of the townspeople and his own way of understanding the world. As Squire Vane prepares to welcome Mr. Cyprian Paynter to his home, he dismisses the locals' fears as foolishness. As he nears the shoreline, the rising hostility from superstitions hints at deeper battles on the horizon. This combination of logic, mystery, and the unknown leads to events concerning the Squire, those around him, and the riddle of the looming trees themselves.