Annie Kilburn : a Novel

"Annie Kilburn: A Novel" by William Dean Howells is set in the late 1800s and follows Annie Kilburn, a judge's daughter, coming back to her hometown of Hatboro, Massachusetts, after living in Rome for eleven years. The book looks at what makes us who we are, the different levels of society, and trying to find a balance between what we want for ourselves and what others expect of us. When Annie gets back, she wants to find her place again in a town that has changed while she was away, dealing with her father's death and feeling like she needs to do something good for the world. As she meets old friends and new people, she sees how much Hatboro has grown, but also struggles with connecting her past to her new goals and purpose.