
audiobook
by H. Alfarata Chapman (Harriet Alfarata Chapman) Thompson
Transcriber’s note:
A gentle, thought‑provoking tale invites listeners into Resthaven, an imagined community where the aspirations of everyday people mingle with an earnest search for a better way of living. Through the eyes of a diligent young woman who shapes the town’s catalogues and dreams, the story explores how kindness, small deeds, and shared purpose can ripple outward, turning personal hope into collective light.
The narrative unfolds as a series of intimate scenes—quiet conversations at the town hall, modest celebrations of daily labor, and reflective moments beneath sprawling oaks. While the characters’ lives remain rooted in ordinary struggles, their conversations about duty, generosity, and the courage to act on inner calling give the utopian vision a warm, relatable texture. Listeners will find a comforting reminder that even modest efforts, when stitched together, can point toward a brighter, more hopeful future.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (77K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: J. B. Lyon Company, 1923.
Credits
Charlene Taylor, Guus Snijders and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
Mar 17, 2022
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1871–1922
An early 20th-century African American writer, educator, and clubwoman, she is remembered for Idealia: A Utopia Dream; Or, Resthaven, a gentle but ambitious vision of a more humane society. Her work stands out for imagining dignity, care, and community at the center of everyday life.
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