The Garies and Their Friends (1857) - Frank J. Webb - Bog

Unjustly overlooked in its own time, Frank J. Webb's novel of pre-Civil War Philadelphia weaves together action, humour, and social commentary. The Garies and Their Friends tells the story of two families struggling for different sorts of respectability. Along the way the families confront racialized violence, melodramatic villainy, and sentimental reversals.