"Three American find themselves unexpectedly drawn together in a romantic tale of manners set in nineteenth century Florence."--Cover of paperback ed.

William Dean Howells (1837-1920) wrote novels, plays, essays, poems, reviews and travel pieces that touched on every day people and their experiences. A prime example of Howell's realism is this 1890 novel; it is a psychologically probing reflection on social and personal upheaval in the nineteenth century, which the author considered to be his "most vital" book. The story interweaves themes, plots and characters in New York City and projects Howells...

First published in 1894, A Traveler from Altruria tells the story of a foreign visitor who presents the concept of a Utopian society. Howells hoped his novel would allow readers to confront the inconsistencies, imperfections, and injustices of Gilded Age America.