The Carbonels

"The Carbonels" by Charlotte M. Yonge is a historical novel written in the early 19th century. The story revolves around the lives of the Carbonel family, particularly the newlywed couple Captain Edmund Carbonel and Mary, as they navigate their new life at Greenhow Farm. The narrative delves into their aspirations to improve the local community, particularly focusing on the challenges they face with the local population and their endeavors to establish a Sunday school. The opening of the novel sets the stage for the Carbonels as they settle into their rural home. The characters are introduced in a lively scene filled with vivid descriptions of their surroundings. Captain Carbonel, recently returned from military service, is determined to create a better life for his new family, despite facing obstacles such as the skepticism of locals and the disarray in their new home. The tension between the Carbonels’ well-meaning intentions and the realities of the farming community begins to emerge, highlighting themes of social improvement, community dynamics, and the struggle to navigate change in a traditional setting. The descriptions of the characters and their interactions provide a rich tapestry of life in that era, preparing the reader for deeper explorations of class dynamics and personal relationships. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Charlotte Mary Yonge was an English novelist, who wrote in the service of the church. Her abundant books helped to spread the influence of the Oxford Movement and showed her keen interest in matters of public health and sanitation.