The Blithedale Romance
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Set on a communal farm called Blythedale, Blythedale's "Novel" is the story of four commune residents: Hollingsworth, a misanthropic philanthropist obsessed with turning Blythedale into a colony to reform criminals; Zenobia, a passionate feminist; Priscilla, who turns out to be Zenobia's half-sister; and the storyteller is Miles Coverdale. The story is about the madness of the four in the commune, which begins intensely in spring and summer, but begins to crumble towards a tragic end as autumn approaches. A classic of American literature, Blythedale's Novel is a compelling narrative based on the backdrop of many important social and political issues of the 19th century.
