Project Gutenberg 2006-03-06 Public domain in the USA. 350 Bailey, Temple 1869 1953 Bailey, Irene Temple Corson, C. S. (Charles Schell) 1882 1921 Corson, Charles Schell Corson, Charles S. Contrary Mary E-text prepared by Al Haines "Contrary Mary" by Temple Bailey is a romantic novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around Mary Ballard, a strong-willed young woman navigating familial expectations while longing for independence and true love. The narrative explores her relationships, particularly with her family and her new lodger, Roger Poole, as they both seek refuge from their pasts in the same house. The opening of the story introduces a large, somewhat opulent house on a hill, where a wedding celebration is taking place. Amid the festivities, we meet a brooding figure, Roger Poole, who is there to inquire about renting an apartment. He encounters Mary Ballard, who is different from the other guests, and their conversation hints at a connection that will unfold. As Mary and Roger discuss the possibility of him taking the rooms in her home, it becomes clear that Mary yearns for financial independence and Roger seeks a fresh start after hardships. Their interaction sets the stage for a romance intertwined with Mary’s desire for autonomy and the complexities of her familial obligations. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 82.5 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Fiction PS Text Category: Romance Category: Novels Category: American Literature 552932 2025-08-07T13:37:37.854289 text/html 545334 2006-03-06T17:52:58 text/html 496467 2025-08-07T13:37:46.509702 application/epub+zip 506996 2025-08-07T13:37:39.930221 application/epub+zip 274865 2025-08-07T13:37:38.656191 application/epub+zip 697975 2025-08-07T13:37:51.097687 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 678071 2025-08-07T13:37:45.653674 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 411957 2022-09-08T13:49:48.220980 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 499397 2025-08-07T13:37:35.823263 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 499215 2020-12-13T18:54:24 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 499222 2020-12-13T18:54:25 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20620 2025-08-07T13:37:51.231656 application/rdf+xml 10643 2025-08-07T13:37:39.199281 image/jpeg 3006 2025-08-07T13:37:38.933185 image/jpeg 188789 2020-12-13T18:54:25 application/octet-stream application/zip 423056 2020-12-13T18:54:25 application/octet-stream application/zip 188782 2020-12-13T18:54:25 application/octet-stream application/zip 483990 2025-08-07T13:37:37.929204 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia