The Story of a Country Town: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Story of a Country Town: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

The Story of a Country Town is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Howe, E. W. (Edgar Watson) (1853–1937).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Story of a Country Town" by E. W. Howe is a novel written in the late 19th century. The book offers a fictional account of life in a small American town, with particular focus on the dynamics of its residents, their struggles, and the influence of religion on their lives. The story is narrated by Ned Westlock, the only son of the stern Rev. John Westlock, which suggests that his perspective will shape the depiction of his father's rigid beliefs and their impact on the community. At the start of the novel, the narrator reflects on his upbringing in Fairview, a prairie district where his family settled among other farmers seeking a better life. He describes the bleak atmosphere of the town, where the influence of his father's strict and unforgiving religious ideology seems to contribute to the general discontent of its residents. The opening chapters introduce key characters, including his father, who cultivates a hard and laborious religion, and Jo Erring, his imaginative friend who aspires to become a miller. Through Ned's observations of life at Fairview, readers are privy to the struggles, ambitions, and interpersonal relationships that define this rural community, setting the stage for deeper explorations of themes such as family, faith, and individuality.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Story of a Country Town
- Author credits: Howe, E. W. (Edgar Watson) (1853–1937)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Frontier and pioneer life -- Kansas -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Novels
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.


