The Talented Miss Farwell Summary
Emily Gray Tedrowe

The Talented Miss Farwell Overview

Emily Gray Tedrowe's novel The Talented Miss Farwell is a complex third person narrative that traces the life of ambitious small town Becky Farwell. After witnessing her father's years of monetary hardships, Becky is determined to make something of herself. Though she is successful at her menial bookkeeping job in her Pierson, Illinois, her life fails to satisfy her. An impulsive theft from the town's accounts soon leads to an obsession with embezzling money and collecting expensive art. Throughout the novel, Becky struggles to balance her two versions of self. The novel explores themes of identity, ambition, and alienation.