The Cliff-Dwellers

"The Cliff-Dwellers: A Novel" by Henry Blake Fuller has the honor of being one of the first works of fiction using the rapidly developing Chicago metropolis of the 19th century as its setting. Providing readers with a realistic look at the city's high society, this book is equal parts a window into Chicago's past and a fascinating literary tale of what it meant to live in the windy city as artificial cliffs, today's skyscrapers, began becoming commonplace.