The Rose-Garden Husband

"The Rose-Garden Husband" by Margaret Widdemer is a story set in the early 1900s that follows Phyllis Braithwaite, a 25-year-old librarian dreaming of something more than her current life in a library. The novel explores Phyllis's longing for a husband and a rose garden, showing her struggle against the normal expectations of society and her personal goals. From the start, the reader learns about Phyllis’s, nicknamed “Liberry Teacher," feelings about her boring job at a library. After reflecting on her dreams, Phyllis runs into an old classmate, and notices all their differences. Phyllis wants more out of life and longs a better life. Her world is turned upside down when an unexpected marriage proposal appears, holding both hope and difficulties.