Was It Right to Forgive? A Domestic Romance

In Woodsome village, Peter Van Hoosen measures good work by the same strict principles that guide his religious life. His youngest daughter, Adriana, brings warmth and intellectual curiosity into his home, and their shared studies become a source of pride for them both. After attending college and losing her mother, Adriana chooses to remain with her father. Her friendship with the accomplished Rose Filmer introduces another family, whose connections lead from village life into New York society.

Amelia E. Barr places affection, social ambition and family responsibility close together in this domestic romance. Adriana’s relationship with Harry Filmer suffers from concerns about his sister’s social prospects, while Antony Van Hoosen hopes to marry Rose and protect her from harmful choices. Conversations between parents, children and prospective partners reveal how differently people understand duty and love. Readers interested in family fiction will find a story shaped by moral judgments, differences in upbringing and the strain that one person’s decisions can place on a household.