O. Henry 
The Four Million 

One of O. Henry's most critically lauded collections of short stories, The Four Million homes in on the inhabitants of New York City. While many authors of the era focused exclusively on the denizens of the upper classes, O. Henry set out to chronicle the lives of those at every point on the socioeconomic spectrum. Packed with stirring stories about salt-of-the-earth men and women, The Four Million is a richly rewarding read.