Helen of the Old House


Read by Bob R

Helen is not the main character; it is the mill, in this small town in the first half of the 20th century. This is a story of labor strife, class inequity and warfare, poverty and wealth, socialism vs. capitalism, and love and hatred. It centers on two families; each family includes a father and a son and a daughter. In their childhood years, they were all very close. Over time, Helen ‘s family becomes very wealthy, the other family less so. By questionable means, Helen’s father becomes the owner of the mill. He represents corporate greed at its worst. A labor organizer named Jake Vodell creates major strife. He is described as a communist and a “foreigner”. A central character is an old, injured and retired worker called the Interpreter. He attempts to make the town realize that the real enemy is neither labor nor capital; it is the extremes of capital greed and labor socialism. Such class conflict is a major backdrop in most of Harold Bell Wright’s novels. He was a best-selling author of his time. His books show how much progress we have made in technology; human behavior seems little changed - Summary by Bob Rollins (10 hr 50 min)

Chapters

The Hut on the Cliff 47:17 Read by Bob R
Little Maggie's Princess Lady 17:14 Read by Bob R
The Interpreter 26:44 Read by Bob R
Peter Martin at Home 7:57 Read by Bob R
Adam Ward's Estate 21:08 Read by Bob R
On the Old Road 19:21 Read by Bob R
The Hidden Thing 18:39 Read by Bob R
While the People Sleep 31:10 Read by Bob R
The Mill 36:23 Read by Bob R
Concerning the New Manager 18:16 Read by Bob R
Comrades 39:12 Read by Bob R
Two Sides of a Question 16:02 Read by Bob R
The Awakening 17:32 Read by Bob R
The Way Back 17:32 Read by Bob R
At the Old House 11:56 Read by Bob R
Her Own People 22:00 Read by Bob R
In the Night 12:29 Read by Bob R
The Gathering Storm 19:29 Read by Bob R
Adam Ward's Work 26:32 Read by Bob R
The People's America 15:57 Read by Bob R
Peter Martin's Problem 18:05 Read by Bob R
Old Friends 20:15 Read by Bob R
A Last Chance 20:02 Read by Bob R
The Flats 31:33 Read by Bob R
McIver's Opportunity 33:58 Read by Bob R
At The Call of the Whistle 11:43 Read by Bob R
Jake Vodell's Mistake 19:24 Read by Bob R
The Mob and the Mill 24:52 Read by Bob R
Contracts 17:12 Read by Bob R
"Jest Like the Interpreter Said" 10:59 Read by Bob R