Patty Fairfield is the kind of heroine who solves her own problems. In 1911 New York, a young woman with a sharp mind and independent spirit is a refreshing thing, and Carolyn Wells knew it. When Patty discovers a puzzle contest offering an electric motor car as its prize, she throws herself into the challenge with characteristic vigor. The car, christened "The Swift Camilla," becomes both prize and symbol: proof that intelligence and determination can carry a girl far in a world that doesn't always expect much from her. The novel follows Patty through her puzzle-solving exploits, her social life among friends Roger, Kenneth, and the shy but talented Christine, and her evolving relationship with her stepmother Nan. Wells writes with warmth and wit about the small dramas of young adulthood: family obligations, a friend's anxieties, the satisfaction of a riddle mastered. There's something deeply appealing about watching Patty navigate her world with energy and humor, finding solutions where others see obstacles. Over a century old, Patty's Motor Car endures because it captures something timeless: the pleasure of a clever mind at work, and the quiet revolution of a young woman who refuses to be underestimated.
