Kingsworth; or, The Aim of a Life

"Kingsworth; or, The Aim of a Life" by Christabel R. Coleridge is a 19th-century novel that looks at how family history, reputation in society, and doing what’s right play out through the Kingsworth family. The story focuses on brothers George and James Kingsworth, their different situations in life, and how their choices impact the family's property. The story begins at Kingsworth House, which is full of the family's history and troubles. We meet the brothers, who have very different personalities, and see the stress between them because they've chosen different life paths. George seems to be more reliable and thriving, but James is dealing with earlier errors and wants to make things right. The family faces a crisis when James secretly gets married, which creates major problems for the family's name as they struggle with questions of what they'll inherit, what's honorable, and what happens because of past decisions.