A Far Country

In a glittering city of sudden wealth and polished ambition, Hugh Durrett moves through a world where old Calvinist restraint has given way to luxury, compromise, and social performance. Restless, he is drawn back to Nancy, the woman who once stirred him most deeply, and a portrait of her in a museum rekindles memories of intimacy, loss, and unfinished feeling. Their reunion is intimate yet guarded: Nancy is witty, intelligent, and coolly self-aware, teasing Hugh about his romanticism while inviting him into a friendship charged with old desire and new caution. As their conversations deepen, they debate books, freedom, social rebellion, and the tension between moral propriety and the urge to live fully. Hugh, increasingly detached from his marriage to the capable Maude, still feels the pull of family and duty, even as he is captivated by Nancy's mind and presence. Around them, Wall Street power struggles and a fierce corporate battle over the Ashuela Telephone Company expose a city ruled by hidden forces, propaganda, and ruthless alliances. Against this backdrop, Hugh and Nancy confront the hardest question of all: whether love can redeem the lives they have made, or whether desire only deepens guilt, sacrifice, and self-deception. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.