The story in one page
Walker Farr arrives in town on foot, radiating an air of capability beneath his vagrant’s clothing. He avoids forced labor under a suspicious constable, finds work, and becomes an accidental protector for a lonely child and a young woman named Zelie. His arrival coincides with a growing insurgency against the local political boss, Colonel Symonds Dodd, who exploits the poor through monopolistic control. While others debate politics, Farr engages in small, unselfish acts that unmask the corruption of the local machine. By the time his true identity as Bristol is revealed, he has helped dismantle the influence of the town's political architects and reclaimed his life with Kate Kilgour.
Who's who
- Walker Farr
A mysterious, capable traveler working to expose local political corruption.
- Colonel Symonds Dodd
A powerful local boss holding the state in his grip.
- Zelie Dionne
A French mill worker who befriends the protagonist.
- Etienne Provancher
A blunt, aging rack-tender who guides the protagonist to love.
- Kate Kilgour
A woman who waits for the protagonist to find her.
What it's really about
- Political Graft
- Corrupt systems using the poor to protect monopolies.
- Knight-Errantry
- Unselfish action performed outside of formal office.
Why it's memorable
- Farr offering to chop down well-holes turned inside out by a cyclone.
- A blacksmith forging leg braces for poor children in the dead of night.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Bristol tracks Kate to Mother Maillet’s house, where a blunt intervention by Etienne finally forces the two together. He kicks through a fence to reach her, they reconcile, and the door shuts on the rest of the world.
For your book club
- Why does a person of means choose the life of a landloper?
- Can unselfish individual action actually topple a well-entrenched political machine?