The Conquest of Canaan

"The Conquest of Canaan" by Booth Tarkington is a story set in the imagined Indiana town of Canaan, where a group of old men gather in the National House to discuss life, social issues, and everything else in between. The story begins on a cold winter morning as the men debate big ideas. We meet characters like the negative Eskew Arp and the thoughtful Roger Tabor as they talk about what it means to be human and the rules people live by. A young man named Eugene Bantry comes back from college, ready to shake things up. The book is full of funny sayings and deep thoughts and seems to ask questions about class, pride, and what it takes to find yourself, creating a tale that pokes fun at what society wants and what people actually want.