William Dean Howells 
Fennel and Rue 

Nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters, " author and editor William Dean Howells was staunchly committed to realism in fiction. However, rather than reverting to gritty naturalism, Howells’ novels are rich in psychological complexity and keenly observed insights into human behavior and foibles, such as the toxic relationship between budding writer Philip Verrian and his mother that is at the center of the short novel Fennel and Rue.