Froth: A Novel

A close-knit provincial community responds intermittently to the cries of a mistreated child, with neighbors' remonstrances and public talk producing little lasting change. Through a sequence of domestic episodes and scenes of local life, the narrative sketches various residents and their petty vanities, private sorrows, and strained affections. The prose balances observational detail with compassionate reflection, tracing how social opinion, habit, and moral blindness intersect to shape fates. The result is a tempered exploration of neglect, communal responsibility, and the gap between appearance and human need.