Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance

by William Dean Howells

"Through the Eye of the Needle: A Romance" by William Dean Howells is a utopian novel published in 1907. The final volume in Howells's Altrurian trilogy, it follows Aristides Homos as he navigates New York City's stark contrasts with his pastoral utopian homeland. Through letters to a friend, Homos chronicles his romance with Evelith Strange, a wealthy widow torn between her privileged life and her conscience. She must decide whether to abandon her fortune and follow him to Altruria, where a simpler society awaits.