New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million

"New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million" by George Lippard is a gripping story set in 19th-century New York, where extreme wealth clashes with desperate poverty. The story revolves around the wealthy Van Huyden family, following the lives of Gulian, his brother Charles, and a child connected to their destiny. A Christmas Eve in 1823 sets the stage, revealing jealousy, despair, and a secret adoption involving a struggling couple and a newborn. As the story leaps forward twenty-one years, Gulian’s suicide, the enigma that awaits the mysterious child, and the subsequent search for heirs reveal a world of morality and social disparity amid rapid change.