'Broken to Harness: A Story of English Domestic Life', begins as author Edmund Yates takes readers on a journey through the inner workings of a daily newspaper and the personal lives of its staff. The novel unfolds with a vivid description of the office of the Statesman daily journal, a place that is difficult to find but bustling with activity at night. The protagonist, Mr. Churchill, is a principal contributor to the paper and has been working tirelessly in the editor's absence.