Fnished: Early Autumn (Bromfield) This Pulitzer Prize winner from 1927 is a story of the wealthy Pentland family living in the early 1900's New England. The Pentlands are one of the founding families of the area, and as such, are expected to maintain a level of respectability, even at the expense of happiness. Olivia Pentland is 39 and married to patriarch John Pentland's son, Anson. Anson, is a emotionless, wimpish man, whose only passion in life is working on his genealogy book. Together, Olivia and Anson have two children, 18 year old Sybil and 15 year old Jack. Sybil has just returned from a year of schooling in Paris, and has no interest in the other local, wealthy boys who the Pentlands are trying to set her up with. Jack has been deathly ill since birth, and spends most of his weak days in bed. Their grandfather, John Pentland, has more respect for his daughter-in-law, Olivia, than his own weak-spined son. Olivia, however, is unhappy in a marriage that has been void of physical intimacy since before Jack was born, and has always been loveless. When she chances upon their new neighbor, Irishman, Michael O'Hara, she instantly feels the tinglings of wanting and love that she's never felt before. After many horseback riding mornings, Michael declares his love for her. He has worked himself up from the working class to being quite wealthy. He hopes that she'll leave her husband for him and finally be happy. Meanwhile, Olivia is determined that her own daughter will not be stuck living a loveless life like she has. When a passionate young Frenchman, Jean, who Sybil had met in Paris comes to the estate, Olivia realizes they are in love! When she finds out they'd like to be married, she encourages Sybil and Jean to run off and elope, since she knows her husband will never approve of their marriage. When young Jack finally succumbs to his weak heart, the family is distraught, but mostly Olivia and John Pentland, who adored his grandson. Just when Olivia is beginning to weaken and think she should leave being a Pentland all behind now that Jack has died and Sybil has gone to be happy, old man John Pentland calls her into his study and lets her know that he's leaving everything to her in his will. She's the only person he trusts to handle the finances, maintain the Pentland name and reputation, and keep the family together. She almost defies John, but when he dies in a horseback riding accident, Olivia decides it IS up to her to stay. She loves Michael so much that she also decides that running off with him would not only ruin the Pentland family name, but would ruin Michael's business chances. She begs him to let her go, and he reluctantly does. A bit of a sad ending for Olivia, but a pretty good book. It was written in that way that many older books were written...with lots of prose, and descriptions, and internal thoughts, and little dialogue....but a very good book! :-)