The Children

Abstract

The Children presents the fictional journal of Harold Shapely Jr., recent heir to a Maine island estate and failing wool business. Set in the winter of 1962, the Log reveals Harold’s struggle to cope with the loss of his parents and newfound responsibilities—struggles exacerbated by his severe Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD), which manifests in the belief that his quaint island is under attack by Communists. Presented here is a synopsis of the novel, along with the novel’s fictional preface and first five chapters.