John Halifax, Gentleman

The action is centered in the small town in Gloucestershire. The story is narrated by Phineas, a friend of the central character. John Halifax is an orphan, determined to make his way in the world through honest hard work. He is taken in by a tanner, Abel Fletcher, who is a Quaker, and thus meets Phineas, who is Abel's son. The book follows John's adventures as he struggles to achieve success in life and it is a presentation of the ideals of English middle-class life.

Dinah Maria Craik (1826-1887) was an English novelist and poet. She is best remembered for her novel John Halifax, Gentleman, which presents the ideals of English middle-class life. Later in life Craik returned to more fanciful tales and achieved great success with The Little Lame Prince, a story for children about the young boy whose legs are paralyzed.