Books like The midlander by Booth Tarkington

The *Midlander*, retitled *National Avenue*, closes Booth Tarkington’s Growth Trilogy by spotlighting the rapid industrialization of a Midwestern town at the turn of the twentieth century. The story centers on Dan and Harlan Oliphant, sons of a prosperous local businessman. Harlan embodies the era’s upper‑class refinement, with careful manners and a preoccupation with cultural pursuits, whereas Dan is exuberant, entrepreneurial, and determined to transform his hometown into a modern industrial suburb. He envisions building the Ornaby Addition beside the city’s downtown, a plan that sparks ridicule from family and townspeople alike. Despite initial opposition, Dan’s vision gains traction, bringing factories, noisy traffic, and environmental change to the once‑serene landscape. As industry takes root, Tarkington explores the personal costs of progress: Dan’s drive ultimately strains his family life and damages the surrounding land, prompting readers to question whether ambition can be justified in the face of societal and ecological decline.

First publish date: 1924