This ambitious second novel by D. F. Whipple is reminiscent of Upton Sinclair and Dostoevsky. Highlighting the internal battle of its characters and contrasting its heroine, Esther Owens, against her lover, Snooker Glen delves into allegory and morality. Esther's own desires stand in the way of her dreams of peace and prosperity as she struggles with developing a sense of self and sacrificing for the greater good of a small Kentucky coal mining town.