The Bright Shawl

"The Bright Shawl" by Joseph Hergesheimer is a book that reflects on the differences between generations, seen through the eyes of Charles Abbott as he observes his nephew, Howard Gage, after World War I. Abbott finds it hard to understand the younger generation's lack of hope and their bitterness about the war. The story explores how ideas about what's important in life change over time, particularly as Abbott thinks back to his younger days in Havana, remembering a time when passions and ideals seemed stronger and more noble than what he sees in the modern world.