Ancestors: A Novel

"Ancestors: A Novel" by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton is a story set in the early 1900s that revolves around British high society, showing their lives and linked relationships through heritage, dreams, and friendships. The story focuses on Lady Victoria Gwynne and her friend, Miss Flora Thangue, along with the American cousin Isabel Otis, who comes to England. The book begins with key people at a tea party where Victoria Gwynne is worried about her son's election, leading to tension about duties to family. Flora Thangue watches, wondering why her friend is different after being away. When Isabel, an American cousin with less money but ties to the Gwynne family, arrives, the stage is set for personal pasts and desires to mix, uncovering issues of class, fitting in, and family history.