The Jamesons

by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

"The Jamesons" by Mary E. Wilkins is a novel published in 1899. When the wealthy Jameson family arrives from New York City to spend summer in the small New England village of Linnville, their presence disrupts the peaceful community. Mrs. Jameson attempts to "improve" the townspeople by changing how they eat, dress, and decorate their homes, creating tension with her superior attitude and disregard for local traditions. Her meddling eventually extends to matters of the heart when romance blooms between families of different social standings.