Book of the Month – January 2006

I’ve decided to present a Book of the Month Award for the book I most enjoy reading each month. The first award goes to THE WARDEN (1855), by Anthony Trollope.

This uncharacteristically short novel by my favorite writer is about an elderly clergyman who is director or warden of an old men’s home. One of his neighbors, a young physician named John Bold, has brought to the attention of the press the fact that the warden is receiving much more in income than is spent on the old men.

The warden, being a conscientious man, struggles to decide whether or not he is truly entitled to the money he receives for his position. Complicating the situation is his daughter’s love for John Bold. I can’t think of any novel that describes better the behavior of a true gentleman than this little jewel. If you have never read a Victorian novel this is the place to begin.