A key novel for understanding modern America, its deep ambivalence, and inner turmoil. Carol Kennicott, a young woman from New England, finds herself in a provincial town where the residents, she quickly realizes, think completely differently than she does. They are determined not to abandon their prejudices or embrace new ideas. On the contrary: those who challenge their deeply rooted beliefs may find themselves in for a rude awakening. Thus, a struggle unfolds between two opposing worldviews - urban liberalism vs. rustic backwoods mentality. The fact that the latter is not easily overcome and strikes back fiercely when it feels threatened can be observed in contemporary America just as much as in this turbulent, entertaining classic.