The Opinions of a Philosopher

At forty, Fred has begun to consider himself a philosopher, though his wife Josephine keeps finding gaps between his principles and his conduct. A fall of soot in the drawing room tests his views on proper language, while an afternoon of skating turns his young son's kindness to a fish into an awkward lesson in patience. Robert Grant builds this family novel around a father's amused account of his own inconsistencies.

The domestic comedy grows sharper when Josephine worries about their daughter Winona, who prefers books and education to entering society. Fred's ideas about women's opportunities now require decisions within his own household. Through conversations about church attendance, parenting and social expectations, the book shows how easily reasonable beliefs bend under everyday pressure. Readers interested in family life and changing expectations for daughters will find those tensions expressed through teasing dialogue and candid self-observation.