Suburban Sketches is a series of stories focusing on the details of life in late nineteenth-century American suburbia. Written in a witty and animated style, these sketches capture the colourful characters of various race and rank who inhabit the town of Old Charlesbridge and the events which shaped their daily lives. From the formidable housekeeper Mrs. Johnston, with her low opinion of the entire Caucasian race, to the crowds of the Peace Jubilee of 1869 in Boston, Howells builds an affectionate and touching picture of life as he knew it

William Dean Howells was born in Martin's Ferry, Ohio, on 1 March 1837. Reporter, author and editor, he also served as American consul in Venice from 1861-1865. He was dedicated to the development of a new literature of naturalism and literary realism, and helped to spread an awareness of such writers as Tolstoy, Ibsen, and Henry James. He was also a staunch critic of racism and a founder member of the NAACP. He died in New York City on 11 May 1920.

Format: Paperback
Year published: 2005
Pages: 190
Sub-genre: Classics; literary fiction; short stories.
Imprint: Nonsuch Publishing