The big town : How I and the Mrs. go to New York to see life and get Katie a husband

After a modest inheritance lands them with enough cash to be comfortable, a Midwestern couple packs up for the dizzying streets of New York, hoping the city will provide new opportunities and, crucially, a husband for their spirited sister‑in‑law, Katie. The narrator, a quick‑witted, self‑deprecating salesman, offers a breezy commentary on the clash between small‑town prudence and the relentless hustle of Wall Street. Their journey begins in a borrowed house in Greenwich, where even the resident rats become part of the story’s low‑key humor.

Once in the metropolis, the trio stumbles through a series of comic misadventures—misread newspaper clippings, a bewildering brokerage firm, and a factory foreman whose promises of prosperity quickly turn into chaotic labor. Through lively dialogue and sharp observations, the book paints a vivid portrait of 1920s ambition, family ties, and the hopeful naiveté that drives them to chase the American dream in the big town.