90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books How light and alive she was! Like a bird caught in a net . . . Marian Forrester enchants everyone around her: her husband, an elderly railroad pioneer; the small town of Sweet Water; and Niel Herbert, her unwavering confidant. Yet, her irresistible charm and dazzling wit conceal a dangerous vulnerability – and her greatest secret. A significant inspiration for The Great Gatsby , this exquisite novella is a poignant elegy for a bygone era, fading into history.