Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed

Published in 1911, Edna Ferber's debut novel, *Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed*, follows the life of a newspaperwoman in New York who returns to her hometown in Michigan for health reasons. At twenty-eight, Dawn feels burdened by her past, including her mentally ill husband, Peter Orme, and years spent in boarding houses. With the support of her sister and the attention of a kind doctor, she begins to reclaim her life and pursue a new career in Milwaukee, though the shadow of her husband's condition looms over her future. This novel highlights themes of resilience and the struggle for personal freedom.