The Heart of Philura

Once again Mrs Kingsley does not shy away from the highs and lows of life in the quickly changing world of the 1900s…the ageing women working to support themselves or their families, in jobs that will soon disappear...the washerwoman, butter-woman and the little dressmaker….the contrast between the socialite of Boston and the drudge in the kitchen….the old farmers and the independent, college-educated young people…and, with an acceptance of the realities of life we might think of as “modern”, the impact of an illegitimate child on the lives of its mother and her whole family. In her new role as the ministers wife, Miss Philura’s independent (dare one say rebellious?) spirit continues to blossom, while deep in her heart there is a secret longing waiting to be realised….The arrival of a mysterious new family in the village will have unexpected consequences for the lives of several people in Innesfield; fortunately the heart of Philura is big enough and brave enough to embrace it all.

By : Florence Morse Kingsley (1859 - 1937)

01 - The Hidden Picture 02 - Apriling 03 - Transfiguration 04 - 'A Spot Where Spirits Blend' 05 - The Closed Door 06 - The Hill Family 07 - Malvina Bennettt, dressmaker 08 - The Ornes 09 - The Door Ajar 10 - A Night of Rain and The Morning After 11 - A Little Journey In The World 12 - Millstones and Opportunities 13 - Not At Home To Visitors 14 - Molly Drives The Cow 15 - On The Old Road 16 - Malvina Bennett Points a Moral 17 - Where is Sylvia 18 - On Wings of Morning 19 - Grandma Orne Speaks Her Mind 20 - At The Parsonage 21 - The COnfession 22 - A Rainy Dawn 23 - Playing Mother 24 - Sylvia's Child 25 - 'unto Us a Son is Born' 26 - The Parish Hears The News 27 - The Ladies Aid 28 - Miss Philura's Baby 29 - The Lord Gave 30 - Milly