A lost wife could lead to a lost life as a man struggles to find his place in the world without her.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
More Contemporary FictionThe Books
Ester left her vast library to the small town, but what were they going to do with it?
Miss Sunbeam
Lana never harbored the illusion that her parents would get back together, but when the divorce paperwork came through, she was disillusioned all the same.
Turn Out the Lights
“Listen,” he said, raising the laptop over his head like that might amplify the silence.
Classic Fiction
More Classic FictionMiss Temptation
In Kurt Vonnegut’s well-loved short story, a soldier just back from Korea disrupts a small town’s daily ritual—and makes a pretty girl cry.
The Conscience of the Court
In 1950s Jacksonville, Laura Lee Kimble stands accused of beating a man nearly to death. Author Zora Neale Hurston tells her story of speaking truth to power.
“Francine” by Booth Tarkington
“But although you were never quite sure you knew what Francine Lang really looked like, you were always convinced that she was beautiful.”
The Ice Palace
A small-town southern girl wants to be “where things happen on a big scale,” but the dreariness of the North will test her resilience.
“To Kill a Man” by Jack London
A wealthy city woman strikes up a surprising camaraderie with a late-night intruder, and they discover what lies beneath the surface of each person’s intentions.
Love and Heartbreak
A Summons to England
“The conference materials were still in the seat pocket, open to the page about the theory of personal responsibility in tort law. Often the victim is in the best position to consider the potential harm that might befall her.”
The Ice Palace
A small-town southern girl wants to be “where things happen on a big scale,” but the dreariness of the North will test her resilience.
“Clever Women Are Dangerous Too” by Jon Cleary
An Australian magazine editor is entangled in a love triangle between a vapid new cover girl and his whip-smart photographer.
Read More about “Clever Women Are Dangerous Too” by Jon Cleary
“Free” by Theodore Dreiser
“Why hadn’t he done something about it years before? Why hadn’t he broken it up before it was too late, and saved his own soul, his longing for life, color? But no, he had not. Why complain so bitterly now?”