by John O'Hara
First published 1997
Grace Caldwell Tate grows up restless in Fort Penn, Pennsylvania, where her family controls the social order. She marries but cannot contain her hunger for experience. Grace pursues violent affairs that threaten to destroy her position and her family's reputation. The scandals ripple through Fort Penn's complex social fabric, affecting politicians, businessmen, and crusaders who orbit the Caldwell influence. Grace faces public disgrace and personal disaster as her choices catch up with her. Yet she finds her own forms of victory amid the wreckage. Her story unfolds against the backdrop of a city where public ambition and private desire constantly collide. Grace embodies both the power and the contradictions of her class and time. She remains fierce and possessive even as tenderness complicates her relationships. The novel captures how one woman's rage for life reshapes an entire community.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, family-saga, social-commentary
Setting: Fort Penn, Pennsylvania
Period: 20th Century
705 pages · Hardcover · Modern Library