A widower with a farm needs a housekeeper, and a girl with nowhere to go needs a roof; they marry as a business arrangement, on terms, with the terms stated. Roe was a Presbyterian minister who had been an army chaplain in the Civil War and turned novelist after the Chicago fire; he outsold every American novelist of the 1870s, and the farming here is as carefully done as the courtship. Fifty-five plates of farm scenes, harvests and farmyards by painters including Winslow Homer and Eastman...

A New York man of fashion, bored and ill, goes to his family's old place in the Hudson Highlands, now owned by his father's friend Walton, and finds there a daughter of the house who manages everyone and does not need rescuing. Roe was a Presbyterian minister and a Civil War chaplain who turned novelist after the Chicago fire and outsold every American of his decade; the burr of the title is what has to be opened, and it is not hers. Sixty paintings of the Hudson Highlands and the Housaton...

The story revolves around the character of Richard Vandermarck, a wealthy young man who marries Laura Romeyn, a woman he had previously admired from a distance but had never met. The marriage is arranged for financial and social reasons, and at the outset, it appears to be a marriage of convenience rather than love. However, as the title suggests, over the course of the novel, Richard falls deeply in love with his wife.The novel explores the dynamics of their marriage, the development of t...

First serialized in the popular children's magazine St. Nicholas , Driven Back to Eden is a classic of the 19th-century "back-to-the-land" genre. In the preface, author Edward Payson Roe explains that he intended to write a realistic story that could serve as a practical and encouraging guide for families wishing to escape urban tenements for a healthier, more wholesome life in the country. For Robert Durham, a bookkeeper earning a modest salary, life in his crowded New York City flat has ...

"The Home Acre" by Edward Payson Roe is a captivating novel that explores the themes of rural life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque countryside, the story follows the lives of its characters as they navigate the challenges of farming and personal relationships. Roe's vivid descriptions of nature and the struggles of agrarian life create an immersive experience for readers, allowing them to appreciate the beauty and hardships of rural existence....

In "His Sombre Rivals," Edward Payson Roe crafts a poignant narrative that deftly blends romance and social commentary against the backdrop of the Civil War era. The novel explores themes of love, rivalry, and the profound effects of war on human relationships. Roe's prose is characterized by rich descriptions and a deep psychological insight into his characters, encapsulating the moral dilemmas and emotional turmoil faced by individuals during tumultuous times. Set within the richly evoca...

In "The Earth Trembled," Edward Payson Roe weaves a poignant narrative set against the backdrop of a natural disaster, exploring themes of human resilience and moral integrity. This novel, marked by Roe's characteristic realism and vivid characterizations, reflects the socio-religious milieu of late 19th-century America. Through richly descriptive prose and empathetic dialogue, Roe captures the community's turmoil and response, articulating the deep emotional and ethical dilemmas faced by ...

In "He Fell in Love with His Wife," Edward Payson Roe weaves a compelling narrative that explores the intricacies of love, marriage, and post-Civil War societal norms. The story is marked by Roe's characteristic realism, depicting the struggles and triumphs of the protagonist as he navigates the complexities of his emotional and marital life. His skillful prose and vivid characterizations reflect the Victorian era's moral sentiments, offering readers a lens into the transformative power of...

A newspaper editor, worn out, goes to the country to rest and stays with a Quaker family — and a day, a meeting-house and a woman change the direction of his life. Roe was a Presbyterian minister and a cavalry chaplain in the Civil War who turned novelist after the Chicago fire and became one of the best-selling American writers of his day; the Quaker silence in this one is done with real respect. Fifty-three plates from Eastman Johnson and Edvard Munch trace the quiet rhythms of home, wor...

A rich man's son loses everything and takes work in Chicago as a hand — and then, in October 1871, the city burns for three days. Roe was a Presbyterian minister and a former army chaplain who came to see the ruins, decided the fire needed a novelist, and wrote his first book about it; it sold enormously and he never went back to the pulpit. The fire is eyewitness reporting. Fifty-three plates by painters including John Sloan and Eastman Johnson follow the city from Bleecker Street to Gree...

Taken alive explores the emotional cost of loss and the drive for justice in the wake of personal tragedy. The narrative examines how grief reshapes the lives of those left behind and how the pursuit of justice can intertwine with unresolved emotional needs. At its center is a quiet struggle between vengeance and healing, underscored by the internal tension of a character who must navigate personal devotion while confronting danger. The story does not sensationalize crime but instead empha...

A prosperous family loses everything, and the daughter goes out to work in a New York shop — where the hours, the standing and the manager between them test her harder than poverty did. Roe was a Presbyterian minister and a Union army chaplain who turned novelist after the Chicago fire and outsold every American of his decade; this 1881 novel is his attack on shop conditions and on the opium the doctors handed out for exhaustion. Fifty-three plates, among them Eastman Johnson and George In...