First published 2017
Caroline "Sister Carrie" Meeber boards a train bound for Chicago, leaving behind her small Wisconsin town at eighteen. She plans to stay with her sister Minnie and brother-in-law Sven Hanson while building a new life in the big city. During the journey, she encounters Charles Drouet, a charming traveling salesman drawn to her natural beauty and innocent demeanor. They share contact details before parting ways. Chicago reality hits hard when Carrie arrives at Minnie's cramped apartment. The daily grind of work and the dreary atmosphere crush her hopes for something better. The contrast between her dreams and the harsh truth of city life becomes stark. When Drouet tries to reconnect, Carrie finds herself torn between propriety and possibility, writing to discourage his visits to her sister's home. Her struggle captures the tension between small-town values and urban desires, between security and ambition.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, social-commentary
Setting: Chicago, Wisconsin
Period: Late 19th Century
370 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform