The Three Black Pennys: A Novel

"The Three Black Pennys: A Novel" by Joseph Hergesheimer, explores the life of Howat Penny, a young man struggling to find his place amidst his family's ironmaking empire in early America. He wrestles with the expectations of his social circle and family as he desires personal freedom. Howat grapples with the rigid norms of his family's world, finding himself drawn to the raw and untamed beauty of the natural world. When he meets Fanny Gilkan, the daughter of a worker, a romantic connection sparks, revealing Howat's complicated views on relationships and commitment. His interactions with Fanny and others highlight his internal conflict, setting the stage for the story's larger themes of identity, expectation, and the search for one's true self.