Miss Mehetabel's Son: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Miss Mehetabel's Son: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

Miss Mehetabel's Son is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Aldrich, Thomas Bailey (1836–1907).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Miss Mehetabel's Son" by Thomas Bailey Aldrich is a novel written in the late 19th century, specifically around the 1870s. The story unfolds in a remote New England setting, focusing on the peculiar dynamics between its characters, particularly at a once-thriving tavern that has fallen into a state of neglect. The narrative explores themes of memory, regret, and the power of imagination, particularly as it relates to the titular character, Miss Mehetabel's son. The plot revolves around the protagonist, a civil engineer who finds himself staying at the isolated tavern at Bayley's Four Corners during a dreary assignment. There, he encounters Silas Jaffrey, an eccentric old man whose life has been overshadowed by the memory of his lost love, Mehetabel. Despite never having married her, Silas conjures an elaborate imaginary existence for their hypothetical son, Andy, whom he talks about with heartfelt fervor. As the civil engineer spends time with Silas, he becomes strangely drawn into this whimsical fantasy, even as he navigates the dark, atmospheric setting of the tavern—its haunting sounds and ghostly memories—revealing the profound impact of loss and longing in shaping reality. As Silas grapples with his past, the line between reality and fantasy blurs, inviting readers to ponder the depth of human emotions tied to unfulfilled dreams and connections.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Miss Mehetabel's Son
- Author credits: Aldrich, Thomas Bailey (1836–1907)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Short stories
- United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Novels
Read this edition
View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.



