An "intimately limned" saga of passion and greed in the decade before the Civil War--from the New York Times-bestselling author of Captains and the Kings (Kirkus Reviews). The Wide House is the story of two cousins from Ireland: Stuart Coleman, a shopkeeper who dreams of building a big white house and raising a family, and Janie Cauder, a young widow with four children, only one of whom she truly adores. When Janie arrives in Grandeville, New York, the two begin a surprising romance--but happiness is not to be their fate.   Driven by ambition and haunted by self-doubt, Stuart spurns Janie for the beautiful daughter of a business rival. Janie, meanwhile, takes her disappointment out on her children and pursues new romantic opportunities--to diminishing returns. As the national mood turns increasingly antagonistic to outsiders, Stuart and Janie's inability to love will leave a bitter mark on their lives, and on generations to come.   A richly detailed portrait of a fascinating time in American history, The Wide House is a masterwork from an author whose "sheer power" has captivated millions of readers all over the world (The New York Times).