First published 1993
Small-town characters navigate the complexities of rural American life during economic hardship. Manfred weaves together the stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary pressures as the Depression reshapes their community. Farmers struggle to keep their land while merchants watch their businesses fail. Young people dream of escape while their elders cling to tradition. The novel captures how economic crisis tests relationships and forces difficult choices between survival and principle. Through interconnected lives, Manfred reveals the quiet courage required to endure when familiar certainties crumble. The story finds meaning in small gestures of kindness and the stubborn persistence of hope amid uncertainty.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: interconnected-lives, quiet-courage
Setting: America, Rural
Period: Great Depression
270 pages · Paperback · Center for Western Studies