The Settlers at Home, by Harriet Martineau.
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This shortish novel first appeared in 1841, and was published in a
collection of the author's four short 1841 novels, "The Playfellow".
The scene is set in Lincolnshire, a part of England much of which is
flat and prone to flooding by the sea. It was drained in the 1600s by
Dutch engineers by the creation of drains and sea defences. To this day
part of the county is called Holland. After the draining the land was
leased by the King to various settlers from overseas, among whom were
the Linacres, the hero-family of this book. The King's enemies break
down the sea defences, and the land is flooded, with haystacks, mills
and barns floating away, farm animals drowning, and everyone in great
peril. By various mishaps the three Linacre children and a boy from a
roguish nomadic family, are deprived of the Linacre mother and father
just when they most need them, and find themselves in the care of
Ailwin, the strong and sturdy maid-of-all-work. Before they can get
reunited with the parents, Geordie, the weakly two-year-old, dies, and
they have various struggles for survival, with foul water killing many
of the animals they would rely on for food. At last help comes in the
form of the local pastor, who has enlisted the aid of some men to row
him to wherever he is needed.
This book is pretty strong reading, and probably more of a tragedy than
any other category.
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THE SETTLERS AT HOME, BY HARRIET MARTINEAU.