Edith Wharton 
Bunner Sisters 

This novel delves into the lives of two poor sisters in 1870s New York. Ann Eliza and Evelina, run a small shop out of a run-down building on a side street. Ann Eliza meets Herman Raby for the first time when she buys Evelina a clock for her birthday. She instantly senses his loneliness and, for the first time, begins to envision a different future for herself. Her hopes are dashed when Evelina, who has grown anxious since her only suitor vanished without explanation sets her sights on him. Ann Eliza is realistic in her struggle to suppress her desires for her and channel them into contentment for her sister. She acts on the belief that kindness must be rewarded, and Evelina’s contentment is supposed to be her reward for her self-sacrifice. Will Herman Raby turn out to be the man they expected him to be?