Our Old Home: A Series of English Sketches

"Our Old Home: A Series of English Sketches" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a set of essays where the author shares his time living in England as an American consul in Liverpool in the 1800s. Through his writing, Hawthorne explores English culture and landscapes, along with the differences he sees between England and America. He shows both his appreciation and his criticism of the English, as he looks back on England as a place he knows well. In the beginning, Hawthorne dedicates the book to his friend Franklin Pierce and talks about what these essays are, noting that they are about the beauty he sees in English life, not politics. He describes what it was like working at the consulate, which was full of Americans needing help. Hawthorne also gives his opinions on the English people noting both their good qualities and what he thinks is their arrogance. Hawthorne starts a journey into understanding England and questions what it means for him, as an American, to belong there.