The Lovely Ambition — Mary Ellen Chase

“Readers who have come to expect Miss Chase to provide stunning evocations of time and place, particularly of nineteenth-century Maine, will not be disappointed by The Lovely Ambition.” ―New York Times Book Review

Originally published in 1960, this beautiful novel, by one of America's best loved writers, is an absorbing family chronicle of the early twentieth century. Set half in England and half in her native state of Maine, the narrative allows the author to make splendid use of this dual setting to depict with affection the two areas she loved best in the world. John Tillyard, a Wesleyan parson, brings his wife and three children from England when he takes over a Methodist parish in downeast Maine. The descriptions of farming in Suffolk, of the lambing meadows, and of the weekly market are delightful, as are the experiences of the Tillyard family both in Old England and New. This evocative and engaging story is sure to delight and enchant readers.