This volume contains all three books in Edna Ferber’s comedic Emma McChesney trilogy. Follow the titular head-strong single mother as she thrives in early 1910s America.

Emma McChesney is a fiercely confident travelling saleswoman for T. A. Buck’s Featherbloom Petticoats. Having just gone through a bitter divorce, Emma is single-handedly looking after her son while balancing her busy career. Constantly taking train journeys and staying in hotels, Emma McChesney is determined to succeed in life. As the series progresses, we see romance bloom in both Emma McChesney’s life and for her son, and soon their small family begins to grow.

Originally published between 1913 and 1915, Edna Ferber uses the trilogy to subvert expectations for a single mother in early twentieth-century America, presenting her protagonist as a witty, successful businesswoman. This collection would make the perfect addition to the bookshelves of Edna Ferber fans and those who love Emma McChesney’s story.