Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington

Alice Adams

By Booth Tarkington

(Pulitzer Prize winning classic novel)

Envy!

Alice Adams is the only daughter in a middle-class family living in the industrialized "midland country" at the turn of the 20th century. It is against this dingy backdrop that Alice Adams seeks to distinguish herself. She goes to a dance in a used dress, which her mother attempts to renew by changing the lining and adding some lace. She adorns herself not with orchids sent by the florist but with a bouquet of violets she has picked herself. Because her family cannot afford to equip her with the social props or "background" so needed to shine in society, Alice is forced to make do. Ultimately, her ambitions for making a successful marriage must be tempered by the realities of her situation.

This novel of envy is about a young girl and her mother who desire to move up in society.  Alice Adams's resiliency of spirit makes her one of Tarkington's most compelling female characters.

$1.00 USD