Our Own Set: A Novel

The narrative opens in Rome during 1870 and sketches a divided social world in which rival salon circles and seasonal visitors perpetuate ritualized entertainments. It follows a circle of aristocratic expatriates whose evenings, salons, and small scandals expose anxieties about political change, taste, and social standing. Key figures include a conservative count absorbed in polemical writing, a stately countess who presides over fashionable receptions, an aging soldier-turned-painter who remains a popular entertainer, and a reserved gentleman accompanied by a shy child. Through episodic scenes and wry observation, the work examines manners, privilege, and the uneasy efforts of tradition to remain relevant.