The Wide Awake Girls in Winsted

In Short

Set at the turn of the twentieth century, this wholesome story follows college friends Catherine, Hannah, Alice, and their German companion Frieda across a season of personal growth. Beginning with a spirited youth effort to establish a local public library in Winsted, the narrative moves through transatlantic arrivals, new academic routines, and rustic gatherings. Through joint responsibilities, comic mishaps, and quiet conversations, the girls forge lasting connections. Ellis’s novel has endured as a sweet-tempered portrait of female friendship, community effort, and the gentle transitions of youth.

The Story

The narrative opens in Winsted, where college student Catherine Smith and her energetic group of friends hatch a plan to establish a town library. Rallying local support, Catherine visits Judge Arthur, who gives both a financial contribution and permission to clean out a neglected building. Alongside her industrious peer Algernon and friends like Polly and Dorcas, Catherine organizes volunteers to scrub floors, furnish rooms, and stock shelves. Despite minor frictions over budgets and decor, the library opens to wide community acclaim, securing municipal tax support and establishing Algernon as its unsalaried mainstay.

With the library project successfully launched, the story broadens its horizon to welcome new faces and foreign travels. Hannah travels to the dock to meet her friend Frieda, a fiery German girl arriving in America under the guardianship of Miss Lyndesay. Karl, an acquaintance studying at Harvard, takes Frieda on motorcar rides, helping her process her initial homesickness, sharp cultural critiques, and frustration with American ways. Over time, through shared home duties, casual tea parties under apple trees, and quiet evenings by the fire, Frieda softens, bonding with the American girls while sharing her own stories and language.

Meanwhile, Alice Prescott journeys from a Dakota prairie to join the circle. Sponsored through college by the eccentric philanthropist Mrs. Langdon, Alice brings a practical, grounded perspective born of a large, self-reliant family. Together, the young women spend time at Three Gables, the home of Catherine’s parents, Dr. Helen and Dr. Harlow. The summer and autumn months fill with playful domestic routines: shelling peas on the porch, prepping birthday cakes, hosting gatherings, and dealing with neighborhood eccentricities like the mischievous toddler Elsmere.

As the vacation draws to a close, the friends face their impending separation with warm camaraderie. A final celebration is held inside the warm, decorated library building, complete with rain-coated arrivals, laughter, and shared spreads. Soon after, the group gathers at the train station to bid Hannah farewell as she embarks on her journey home. Despite a characteristic mishap where a dropped hat-box ruins a prized cake on the platform, the friends part not with sad goodbyes, but with hopeful promises to meet again, calling out "Auf Wiedersehen" as the train pulls away.

How It Unfolds

The spark takes hold Catherine secures Judge Arthur’s blessing and financial backing to clean out a dusty building for Winsted’s new public library.

Sweat and enterprise The young friends gather with brooms, furniture, and donated supplies, turning a bare space into a welcoming reading room.

A successful launch The town council votes for a library tax, and the community celebrates the grand opening at a festive party hosted by Polly.

Arrival from abroad Frieda steps off the steamer from Germany into Hannah’s welcoming arms, beginning her adjustment to an unfamiliar American landscape.

A drive in the country Karl takes a homesick Frieda out in his motorcar, listening to her candid critiques of America while encouraging her to represent her home country well.

Domestic days at Three Gables Catherine, Hannah, and Frieda share household chores, from shelling peas on the porch to managing visits from neighbors and unruly children.

Alice joins the circle Alice Prescott travels from the Dakota prairie, sharing her quiet resilience and her connection to their mutual benefactor, Mrs. Langdon.

Festivities and final spreads The girls gather at the library for a rainy evening party filled with sandwiches, cake, and shared stories before parting ways.

Auf Wiedersehen At the small train station, a dropped hat-box destroys a farewell cake, but the friends part with laughter and promises of future reunions.

The People

• Catherine Smith: A poised, dutiful college girl who leads the Winsted library initiative. She desires to serve her community and maintain her high standards, though she secretly yearns to escape her reputation for perfect restraint.
• Algernon: An intense, industrious young man who acts as the library's founder and mainstay. He wants to be useful to the town, working tirelessly without accepting a salary despite being frequently misunderstood by others.
• Frieda: A spirited, proud German girl adjusting to life in America. She struggles with homesickness and critical views of foreign customs, but gradually opens her heart through warm friendships.
• Hannah: A loyal, affectionate friend who bridges different social circles. She wants everyone to get along, though her well-meaning clumsiness often leads to minor accidents.
• Alice Prescott: A hardworking, practical student supported by a wealthy benefactor. Raised in a large family, she brings quiet strength, humility, and steady cheer to the group.

In Its Own Voice

"I, for instance, have all my life been expected to be lady-like, just because when I was little I hadn't strength enough to be naughty."

Catherine reflects playfully on her reputation for perfect behavior while chatting with Polly during the library preparations.

"Ach! It is a poor cheap country. Tante Edith and Mr. Eldred are heavenly kind, and Hannah I have loved with a great love, but they have very little taste, and no sense at all."

Frieda vents her initial cultural frustration to Karl during a motorcar drive through the countryside.

"'Beauty for ashes.' What a striking way of putting it! 'The oil of joy'--why, I wonder what we are stopping here so long for."

Alice sits in a stalled Pullman car on the Dakota prairie, contemplating scripture right before discovering a train delay.

What It's Really About

Beneath its cheerful episodic plot, the novel explores the transition from girlhood into self-reliant young womanhood. It examines how civic responsibility, cross-cultural empathy, and female solidarity shape personal character. By pairing the practical labor of building a town library with the emotional work of welcoming a foreign guest, the story argues that true education happens as much through shared service and daily hospitality as it does in college classrooms. It poses quiet questions about gratitude, prejudice, and what it means to belong to a community.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic episodic fiction like Little Women or the Betsy-Tacy series will find a gentle charm in this period story. The book offers a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere rich in the details of early twentieth-century domestic life, from motorcar rides and train travel to porch side chores and homemade spreads.

Modern readers should note that the narrative moves at a deliberate, relaxed pace with little dramatic conflict. Its period language includes occasional mild slang of the era and romanticized cultural contrasts that reflect its 1909 publication date. However, its core warmth, precise focus on sincere friendships, and affectionate handling of youth make it a comforting, heartwarming portrait of young women learning to support one another.