The Windy Hill

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26537

Title

The Windy Hill

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in the idyllic Medford Valley, this novel follows cousins Oliver and Janet as they visit their eccentric, troubled relative, Jasper Peyton. Haunted by family secrets and a mysterious past involving a lost heiress, Oliver flees to the railroad station, only to return after a catastrophic flood tests the community's resilience. Blending atmospheric Southern Gothic elements with heartwarming family dynamics, the story explores themes of honor, redemption, and the enduring bonds of friendship.

Summary up to 500 words

In Cornelia Meigs' *The Windy Hill*, Oliver Peyton and his sister Janet visit their wealthy but irritable cousin, Jasper, at his newly constructed mansion on Medford Hill. The atmosphere is stifling; Jasper appears haunted and neglectful, creating an oppressive silence that unsettles Oliver. Tensions escalate when Jasper insists Oliver meet his unknown cousin, Eleanor, a prospect Oliver resents. Unable to endure the house's gloom and the pressure of the forced introduction, Oliver runs away to the railroad station, intending to escape forever. While Oliver flees, Janet wanders and discovers a shabby home belonging to Anthony Crawford, a local figure known as 'The Beeman.' She finds his young son, Martin, and his weeping mother, uncovering a hidden history involving a portrait of a girl named Cicely. Oliver's escape is interrupted by a sudden, violent flood threatening to wash away the valley. As the community struggles to build a dike, Oliver discovers a critical leak and helps save a trapped man, demonstrating unexpected courage. The crisis forces a confrontation with the past. Anthony Crawford, revealed to have been driven away by a false accusation regarding Cicely's inheritance, returns to destroy the legal documents that ruined him. He leaves the valley reconciled with his friends. Oliver and Janet return to find the Beeman, Polly's father, tending his bees. The novel concludes with the community healed, the flood receded, and the cousins gaining a deeper understanding of their family's history. They learn the importance of truth and forgiveness, realizing that the oppressive silence of the mansion was a barrier to the very friendship and honesty that defines their shared past.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26537.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg26537.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-05 12:53 UTC

Categories

• Adventure
• Fiction
• Mystery