A Dog with a Bad Name

"A Dog with a Bad Name" by Talbot Baines Reed is a story set in the late 1800s about a boy called Jeffreys whose life is forever changed when he's wrongly accused of a terrible accident at his school, Bolsover College; facing isolation and a damaged reputation, Jeffreys' journey takes him through hardship and encounters with other abandoned children, forcing him to deal with lies from the past. The story begins with Jeffreys as an outsider at a run-down school, already suffering from the weight of the false accusations that labeled him as almost killing another student. As the plot builds, we see the main character face escalating problems, the storyline is about character growth, school relationships, and increasing conflict involving his former schoolmates as preparations for a significant football game unfold. The beginning of this tale shows Jeffreys' challenges, highlighting themes of unfair treatment, personal recovery, and the tough road to being accepted.