
A train rattles through the stark Nevada wasteland, turning a barren stretch of alkali flats into a moving gallery of light and sky. Miss Dwyer, a keen‑eyed traveler, finds poetry in the seemingly lifeless landscape, arguing that its harshness is its own kind of splendor. Her companion, a gentleman of quiet curiosity, watches her with a mixture of admiration and concealed intent, while the desert’s endless horizon fuels their conversation about solitude and the allure of untouched nature.
Behind her sits her ailing sister, Mrs. Eustis, whose frailty adds a tender urgency to the journey eastward. As the train pauses at remote stations, the pair encounter familiar faces and unexpected acquaintances that hint at hidden motives and lingering pasts. The narrative promises a delicate balance between the awe of the wild and the tangled webs of human connection, inviting listeners to travel the rails and discover what the desert keeps secret.
Full title
Deserted 1898
Language
en
Duration
~37 minutes (36K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Widger
Release date
2007-09-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1850–1898
Best known for the hugely influential novel Looking Backward, this American writer imagined a future society so vividly that it helped spark political clubs and reform movements in his own time. His fiction blends storytelling with big social questions, making him a fascinating voice from the late 19th century.
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