11 h 28 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 11 h 28 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when an apparently ideal marriage meets a desire that reason cannot settle?
On a vast ranch in the hills of northern California, Dick Forrest runs his estate with clear thought and strong will. His wife, Paula, is lively, graceful and a skilled rider. Their life looks ideal from outside. Then Evan Graham, an old family friend, arrives to a warm welcome, and the balance begins to shift.
In The Little Lady of the Big House, Jack London brings a working estate and a troubled marriage into close view. Farming, animals and money give the ranch its substance; jealousy, loyalty and desire test the people within it. Dick believes in facing facts, but three decent, clever people now want different things—and none wants to lie.
What you’ll discover
- A ranch in full detail Explore the farming, animals and money that sustain the life behind the big house.
- Paula beneath the surface Meet a lively, capable rider whose feelings trouble the apparent ease of her life.
- An unsettling welcome Watch Evan Graham's arrival quietly change the balance between a husband and wife.
- Reason tested by desire Follow Dick's belief in plain speech as love brings jealousy and loyalty into conflict.
- Room for difficult feelings Spend time with three people whose wish for honesty makes their tangled desires harder.
Who will love it
For readers who love romance marked by emotional turmoil, love triangles and the details of ranch life, and those curious about the later work of the author of The Call of the Wild.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A ranch built like a small kingdom
- Dick Forrest, a man of reason and will
- Paula, the little lady of the title
- Evan Graham arrives and things shift
- What the novel says about love and honesty
- How London tells it and where it stands
Who’s who
- Dick ForrestThe owner of the great ranch, a capable and rational man who believes in facing facts and running his life by clear thought.
- Paula ForrestDick's wife, the lively and graceful lady of the big house, whose feelings are deeper and more troubled than the surface of her life shows.
- Evan GrahamAn old friend of the family, welcomed warmly to the ranch, whose arrival quietly changes the balance among the three.
Formats and delivery
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 11 h 28 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Die Kleine Lady im Großen Haus
by Jack London · 1916
On a vast California ranch, Dick, Paula and Evan face a love triangle that reason and honesty cannot resolve.
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In short
The Little Lady of the Big House is a novel by Jack London, published in 1916, the year he died. It is set on a vast ranch in the hills of northern California.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A ranch built like a small kingdom
The story opens on the land. Dick Forrest owns a huge ranch in northern California, and London describes it with the care of a man who loved farming. There are fields, orchards, stables, barns and a great house on the hill. Everything is run on modern, scientific lines, and the place feels less like a farm than a small kingdom with its own rules.
London lingers on the work that keeps such an estate alive. There is the breeding of fine livestock, the study of soil and the use of new methods. He wants you to see that this wealth has been built with thought and energy and is not an idle gift. The ranch is in some ways the first character of the book.
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What is The Little Lady of the Big House about?
It is a novel about a wealthy California rancher, his wife and an old friend whose presence strains the household. It joins a detailed picture of ranch life to a drama of love, honesty and loyalty.
When was The Little Lady of the Big House written?
Jack London published it in 1916, the year he died. It is one of his last novels and is set in the countryside of northern California, close to the area where he built his own ranch.
Who are the main characters in The Little Lady of the Big House?
The central figures are Dick Forrest, the rancher who owns the estate, his wife Paula, and Evan Graham, an old friend of the family. The story follows how the three relate to one another.
The author
Jack London
1876–1916 · American novelist and journalist
Jack London (1876–1916) was an American author, journalist and social activist. He was born in San Francisco and lived in California. He wrote novels, short stories and essays. His novels include The Call of the Wild (1903), The Sea-Wolf (1904), White Fang (1906) and Martin Eden (1909). He died in California.
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