
Set against the rolling bluff and ancient trees of Grandon Park, a stately stone house crowns a sweeping lawn that looks out over a river‑carved bay. The summer air is warm, the roses just beginning to unfurl, and the house’s turreted silhouette feels like a relic from another era. Inside, the family matriarch and her daughters linger in a sun‑lit library, their conversations a mix of nostalgia and restless anticipation.
All eyes turn to the road as a carriage finally rounds the drive, bearing Floyd Grandon after years of wandering. The sisters—Gertrude, Marcia, and the eager Laura—debate his possible return with a married companion, each fearing how his arrival might upend their fragile hopes. Their sharp exchanges hint at hidden rivalries and lingering resentments, promising a tangled web of love, duty, and family pride as the story unfolds.
Language
en
Duration
~12 hours (701K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2008-01-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1831–1916
A hugely popular 19th-century American novelist, she wrote scores of stories for girls and young women, mixing family life, ambition, romance, and social change. Her books were widely read in their day and now offer a vivid window into everyday hopes and struggles in Victorian America.
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