Philip Carey is a small child living in London. One night, he is woken up and brought to his mother’s bedside. His mother is dying due to complications from childbirth; the baby, who would have been Philip’s younger brother, is stillborn.

Immediately after his mother’s death, Philip goes to stay with his godmother, Miss Watkin. Eventually, his nurse, Emma, comes to take him back home. Philip is nine years old (the year is 1885), and he has a disability known as clubfoot: a congenital defect in which a foot is twisted, which typically impacts the person’s ability to walk and run.

Philip goes home, where he is greeted by his paternal uncle, Mr. Carey. Mr. Carey is a clergyman and is married to Philip’s Aunt Louisa. Philip’s father was a surgeon who died six months earlier; upon his death, it was found that he had left little money for his family. Philip is now an orphan and will be going to live with his aunt and uncle in the country village of Blackstable, England.