First published 2004
In the bustling heart of 1880s Boston, the residents of a close-knit neighborhood face the joys and challenges of daily life. Widow Mrs. Meredith and her daughter Lily forge new connections, while the well-to-do Mathews family grapples with marital discord. As their lives intertwine, they discover that the strength of community can both uplift and complicate their most personal relationships. Through it all, Howells paints a vivid portrait of urban working-class America, where the ancient bonds of neighborhood endure alongside the modern anxieties of a changing world.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
30 pages · Paperback