There was a Little City

Name: There was a Little City
Author: Gilbert Parker

The novel There was a Little City by Gilbert Parker tells the story of a small town in Canada and its inhabitants during the early 20th century. The book explores themes of love, loss, and community as the characters navigate their way through life's challenges.

By Gilbert Parker · First published 1898 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Drama · 6,505 words

First lines

It lay between the mountains and the sea, and a river ran down past it, carrying its good and ill news to a pacific shore, and out upon soft winds, travelling lazily to the scarlet east. All white and a tempered red, it nestled in a valley with other valleys on lower steppes, which seemed as if built by the gods, that they might travel easily from the white-topped mountains, Margath, Shaknon, and the rest, to wash their feet in the sea. In the summer a hot but gracious mistiness softened the green of the valleys, the varying colours of the hills, the blue of the river, the sharp outlines of the cliffs. Along the high shelf of the mountain, muletrains travelled like a procession seen in dreams -- slow, hazy, graven yet moving, a part of the ancient hills themselves; upon the river great rafts, manned by scarlet-vested crews, swerved and swam, guided by the gigantic oars which needed five men to lift and swayargonauts they from the sweet-smelling forests to the salt-smelling main.

What this Textopian page supports

There was a Little City is listed on Textopian as a novella by Gilbert Parker, dated 1898 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novella
Author: Gilbert Parker
Date: 1898 CE
Language: English
Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Drama, Literary Fiction, Romance
Length: 6,505 words
Structure: 1 section, 111 paragraphs
Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)

Good citation fit

Work identity for There was a Little City by Gilbert Parker
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering There was a Little City?
How does this novella by Gilbert Parker fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Historical Fiction — The narrative is set in a past era, focusing on the development of a small city and its people, with historical elements woven into the plot.
Adventure — The story includes elements of exploration, survival, and the protagonist's various heroic acts, such as saving the city from disasters.
Drama — The book explores complex emotional themes, including loss, redemption, and the protagonist's relationship with his daughter and the community.
Literary Fiction — The writing style is rich and descriptive, focusing on character development and thematic depth rather than plot-driven action.