The Early Bird: A Business Man's Love Story

A sparkling early 20th-century comedy of manners where business and romance collide at a summer resort. Sam Turner, a youngish-looking businessman with eyes that "photograph everything within their range of vision," steps off the train at Restview desperate for rest. Instead, he finds himself in a breezy battle for Miss Josephine Stevens' attention while simultaneously scheming a lucrative lumber deal. The two pursuits prove equally complicated. Chester writes with a light touch and sharp wit, capturing a vanished world of afternoon dances, business handshakes, and the delicate arithmetic of courtship. If you've ever tried to close a deal and a heart in the same weekend, this novel speaks your language. It endures as a delightful period piece, perfect for readers who enjoy early Hollywood comedies and the prose equivalent of a screwball romance.