Little Brother

Mary Rackham, born in Norwich in 1848, emerged as a significant figure in East Anglian literature after marrying farmer Fairman Joseph Mann in 1871 and moving to Shropham, Norfolk. Engaging with the local workhouse and its inhabitants, she began writing in the 1880s to combat the monotony of village life, publishing her first novel, "The Parish of Hilby," in 1883. Over three decades, she produced a remarkable body of work that included thirty-three novels, numerous short stories, and fourteen plays, often portraying the challenges of rural life in Norfolk. Rackham's literary legacy endures, with particular acclaim for her short stories, until her passing in 1929 at the age of 80.