The Hills of Desire

Set against the boisterous backdrop of early 20th-century New York City, this novel follows Jimmie Wardwell, an aspiring writer laboring over his typewriter in a boarding house, and Augusta Wilding, the woman he loves but whose life is shadowed by the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Rose. The opening chapters establish Jimmie's wonderfully chaotic world: he's found himself the reluctant steward of a household of eccentric boarders, a troupe so notoriously tumultuous that their complaints drive him to dramatic declarations of 'To arms!' while he struggles to finish his literary ambitions between eruptions of domestic pandemonium. Beneath the comedy of mismatched roommates and counting mishaps lies a tender exploration of love, obligation, and the search for connection in a city that never stops moving. As Augusta grapples with concerns for her missing mother, the novel balances its playful, linguistic humor with genuine emotional stakes, asking what we owe to family and whether we can ever truly escape the past that shaped us.