The Sinclair Lewis Library

In which Una, seeking companionship beyond the polite but uninspiring Grays, courageously applies for residence at the Temperance and Protection Home for Girls, enduring the stern scrutiny of its matron and encountering the blunt yet warm-hearted Mrs. Esther Lawrence. Amidst the strict rules and varied personalities of this bustling refuge for working women, Una finds a spirited circle of friends...

In which the diligent Una endures the humdrum rigours and cramped physical discomforts of office routine under the gruff but honest management of Mr. Troy Wilkins, finding small daily satisfactions amid the monotony and the occasional pangs of boredom. Her quiet observations of city life and her tentative intellectual aspirations offer a subtle counterpoint to the weary rhythms of her confined wor...

In which a brash and cunning Dr. Phil Benson disrupts a genteel family gathering with his irreverent wit and unrefined manners, yet reveals a surprisingly tender side in his awkward advances toward Una Golden, stirring within her a restless mixture of irritation, compassion, and bewilderment. As they navigate the diverse and often harsh streets of the city, Una wrestles with the allure of companio...

In which Una Golden, grappling with the sterile burden of her grief, navigates the oppressive labyrinth of office life and the city’s relentless Subway, finding herself increasingly alienated from the genteel world she once knew. As she relinquishes the last ties to her past and takes refuge in a boarding-house filled with humble yet vivid characters, she begins a tentative exploration of a new, u...

In which a young stenographer named Una Golden navigates the modest challenges and restrained hopes of office life in an aging city building, quietly dreaming of a freer, more spirited existence beyond her daily toil and reserved affections. As illness shadows her humble home, she confronts the depths of love, loss, and the yearning for a more meaningful place within the modern world’s relentless...

In which a young office worker navigates the tender complexities of first love amid the bustling anonymity of the city, encumbered by a devoted but demanding mother and the unspoken constraints of ambition and decorum. Through whispered confessions and quiet disappointments, she confronts the subtle yet stirring tug-of-war between desire and duty, culminating in a bittersweet farewell and a resolu...

In which a young stenographer, caught between innocent longing and the harsh pragmatisms of city life, finds herself entwined in the hesitant, awkward stirrings of first love within the confined, dusty walls of the office. The delicate dance of desire and decorum unfolds amid whispered gossip and quiet reflections, as she learns the bittersweet reality of affection far removed from the idealised r...

In which Una Golden navigates the bustling office springtime with a quiet longing for connection, finding unexpected warmth and camaraderie in her working relationship with the impulsive yet earnest Walter Babson. Their shared evening—filled with candid conversation, youthful ambitions, and the thrill of tentative affection—ushers Una into a new world of hope and restless desire beneath the buddin...

In which Una Golden embarks on her first foray into stenography under the erratic yet oddly endearing supervision of Walter Babson, whose bouts of incoherence and bouts of inspiration reveal a man adrift between literary ambition and daily toil. As Una learns of Babson’s troubled past and precarious position in the office hierarchy, the office environment subtly brightens with the arrival of sprin...

In which Una embarks on her first office job at the Motor and Gas Gazette, navigating the mundane complexities and unwritten rules of business life amid a tangle of typewriters, desks, and whispered rivalries. She becomes acquainted with the peculiar personalities that inhabit this clerical cosmos, especially the restless and magnetic Walter Babson, whose presence stirs a quiet fascination within...

In which Una Golden, a determined young woman from Panama, Pennsylvania, navigates the bustling world of a New York commercial college, grappling with her ambitions, uneasy social encounters, and the stirring complexities of youth and love. Amidst her earnest studies and the vibrant personalities around her, she confronts the practical hardships of city life and the tender demands of family, setti...

In which Una Golden, newly arrived from her insipid small town, surveys the bustling, unromantic city of New York with a mixture of awe and resolute ambition, absorbing its sights and sounds while clinging to the hope of a better future for herself and her mother. She throws herself into the humbler world of commercial schooling with diligent eagerness, finding in her studies a newfound sense of p...

In which we meet Una Golden, a modest, aspiring young woman of Panama, Pennsylvania, whose genteel upbringing and limited prospects force her to wrestle with the confines of small-town life and the stifling expectations of womanhood. Faced with the passing of her father and the pressing need to provide for her widowed mother, Una boldly resolves to seek her fortunes beyond her provincial roots by...

In which a spirited picnic in the Cascades serves as the backdrop for the decidedly unrefined and adventurous Gilson party, where Claire finds herself delighting in a spontaneous rattling escapade with Milt Daggett, far removed from the decorum of their usual company. Their escapade, marked by flooded creeks and impromptu wading in cold streams, blossoms into a lighthearted and earnest camaraderie...

In which Milt and Claire navigate the uneasy social currents of a tea party hosted by the Gilsons, where rustic tales and old family grudges reveal the sharp distinctions and hidden resentments beneath polished surfaces. The visit to Aunt Harriet's humble cottage jolts their companions, prompting Milt and Claire to confront the true nature of society and their own place within it.

In which Milt Daggett ventures timidly into the polished world of the Astoria Club under Jeff Saxton’s invitation, navigating the airs and veneers of Eastern aristocracy with a mixture of awkward pride and quiet defiance. Returning to the modest realities of Schoenstrom, he is confronted by the rough-edged loyalty of his old friend Bill McGolwey, whose down-to-earth presence starkly contrasts with...

In which Milt Daggett finds himself navigating the alien intricacies of the Gilson household, from its dazzlingly efficient kitchen to the intimidating world of evening attire, culminating in his awkward immersion in the opera circle. His earnest but fumbling attempts to belong mingle with a growing sense of displacement, punctuated by moments of unexpected loyalty and quiet defiance.

In which a circle of concerned acquaintances discourses on the curious character of a young man who has insinuated himself into the good graces of a certain Claire, revealing both his vulgar origin and a puzzling charm that bewilders even the most worldly observers. With a measure of amused earnestness, they plot to expose the youth’s roughness by thrusting him into various social situations, hopi...

In which Claire encounters Jeff, transformed and rugged from his Alaskan adventure, stirring a complex mixture of admiration, fear, and secret longing within her. Their uneasy reunion unfolds with tender tension, as Jeff’s heartfelt declarations and quiet dignity contrast with Claire’s restless spirit and fragile affections.

In which Mr. Hudson B. Riggs, a beleaguered mining engineer caught between his rustic past and high society’s demands, briefly sheds light on the social tensions surrounding Milton Daggett’s new world of teas and manners. Meanwhile, a tender and unsettled intimacy quietly unfolds between Claire and Milt as they explore the city’s colourful life beyond drawing-room façades, revealing the restless l...

In which Claire navigates the cloying atmosphere of polished social niceties and tedious acquaintances, feeling both alien and restless amid the trivial worries and genteel fussing of the Gilsons and their circle. Finding solace in the humble simplicity of Milt’s modest lodgings, she confronts a poignant mix of shame and resolve as she reflects on her true desires beyond the stifling veneer of pro...

In which a young and determined mechanical engineering student, Milt Daggett, immerses himself rigorously in his studies at the university, navigating a world of privileged classmates with a careful mix of detachment and admiration, all the while harbouring a quiet, unspoken longing. As he attends a somewhat awkward but genteel brunch with Claire Boltwood and her acquaintances, he finds himself a...

In which Milt Daggett arrives in the sprawling city of Seattle, confronting a world vastly different from the open roads and simple towns he knows, and struggles with feelings of alienation and the complex social circles surrounding Claire Boltwood. Amidst his efforts to settle into university life and maintain his dignity, Milt experiences the poignant mixture of hope, longing, and self-doubt tha...

In which Claire Boltwood wrestles with the uneasy aftermath of a rash declaration as the train speeds toward Seattle, ensconced in the comforting but somewhat stifling embrace of her affluent relatives. Surrounded by luxury and familiar faces, she contemplates the vast gulf between her transient adventure and the genteel world to which she belongs, all while grappling with the poignant remnants of...

In which Claire’s adventurous spirit leads her and Milt into the unexpected pastoral quiet of Yakima, where the practical Mr. Boltwood takes hold of the reins and ushers them towards a more ordered conclusion of their journey. Amidst the close attentions of family and the looming return to daily routines, Claire and Milt share tender confidences that hint at the earnest beginnings of a shared futu...