Sunny Slopes

In Short

This gentle 1917 novel explores the resilience of love, sisterly devotion, and faith amidst the trial of long-term illness. When newlywed minister David Duke falls ill with tuberculosis, his vibrant young wife Carol leaves their Iowa parish to care for him in the mountain air of the American West. Side by side with their humorous, independent family members, they confront physical decline with humor and courage. It has endured as an empathetic, affectionate portrait of early twentieth-century American domestic life, capturing the emotional realities of chronic illness and the enduring bond between sisters.

The Story

Carol and David Duke begin their married life with youthful exuberance in a small Iowa parish. Carol is warm and quick-witted, adjusting with charm to her role as a minister's wife, while David is a dedicated pastor loved by his congregation. Their peaceful routine is shattered when David contracts a severe pulmonary infection. The local doctor confirms their fears: it is tuberculosis, requiring an immediate move to a dry climate if David is to have any hope of recovery.

Leaving their home, friends, and parish behind, Carol and David travel to New Mexico to begin the arduous process of "chasing health." They settle in a modest tent colony in Albuquerque alongside other health-seekers. Carol steps into the role of nurse, keeping up their spirits despite the harsh sandstorms, the dreary routine of medicine and temperatures, and the omnipresent shadow of death over the mesa. Her lively sister, Connie Starr—a self-reliant young woman working in Chicago—provides a steady stream of humorous letters and occasional visits, offering a bright connection to the world beyond the sanitarium.

Eventually, the couple relocates to Colorado seeking relief from the scorching southwestern heat. Here, Carol takes full charge of their domestic life, driving their motorcar and creating a comfortable haven despite David's diminishing physical strength. Connie joins them for an extended stay, bringing her sharp observations on romance, independence, and her own ambitions as a writer. The sisters' deep bond offers Carol vital emotional support as David's health continues to slip away.

Throughout his prolonged illness, David maintains a gentle, unfaltering spirit, refusing to let inactivity sour his nature. He and Carol view their struggle not as a grim defeat, but as a journey through dark canyons toward a bright peak. When David finally passes away, Carol returns home to her father's parsonage with her young daughter, Julia. Surrounded by the warmth of her family and her twin sister Lark, Carol finds peace, remembering David not with bitter grief, but with the quiet assurance that he has finally reached the top of his sunny slope.

How It Unfolds

Life in the parsonage Carol and David begin their marriage navigating parish expectations, parishioner visits, and small-town politics with humor, affection, and youth.

The shadow of illness After an exhausting schedule of church duties, David develops a persistent cough, leading to a diagnosis of tuberculosis that forces them to sell their furniture and abandon their pastorate.

Settling on the mesa The couple moves to a sanitarium tent colony in New Mexico, facing blinding sandstorms, frightening nocturnal alarms, and the grim realities of the "land o' lungers."

Sisterly echoes Connie sends lively letters from Chicago and Iowa detailing her independence, her views on suitors, and her resolve to avoid the pitfalls of conventional romance.

Moving to Colorado Seeking relief from the scorching desert heat, Carol finds a small cottage in Colorado, driving the family car and tending to David through years of quiet, domestic routine.

Literary ambitions and mountain outings Connie visits the couple in Colorado, gathering local material for her writing while fending off the romantic attentions of an eager local suitor.

Harboring at home Following David's death, Carol returns to her childhood home in Iowa with her daughter, finding comfort alongside her twin sister and her father as she reflects on David's memory.

The People

• Carol Duke: A dimpled, buoyant young woman who matures from a lighthearted bride into a fiercely devoted caregiver, sustaining her sick husband with her warmth and optimism.
• David Duke: A dedicated, gentle minister whose promising career is cut short by tuberculosis; he faces years of invalidism without bitterness or loss of faith.
• Connie Starr: Carol's quick-witted, independent sister; she works in the city, writes stories, and resists societal pressure to marry unless she finds true companionship.
• Julia Duke: Carol and David's young daughter, whose innocent observations and playful presence bring constant light to their quiet household.
• Prince Ingram: A local Westerner who becomes smitten with Connie during her visit, representing the wilder, unvarnished life of the region.

In Its Own Voice

"The fight against T. B.'s is like walking through the dark shade in the canyons, and then suddenly stepping out on to the sunny slopes."

David offers these comforting words to a discouraged neighbor at the sanitarium, framing their daily battle for health as a journey toward light.

"She is full of that great magnificent ideal of home, and husband, and little children... But it was not Dan I wanted."

Connie reflects honestly with Carol on the difference between a passing desire for domestic safety and genuine, lasting love.

"I think that death is life on the top of a sunny slope, clear up on the peak where it touches the sky."

Carol comforts her twin sister Lark after David's passing, expressing her quiet faith that his suffering has ended in lasting peace.

What It's Really About

Beneath its sweet, domestic exterior, the novel examines the psychological toll of long-term illness on a marriage. It contrasts the ideal of active service with the quieter, harder grace required by chronic invalidism. Through Carol's sacrifice and Connie's worldly independence, the text explores the different ways women claim agency in the early twentieth century—whether through total devotion to a partner or through economic self-sufficiency. At its core, it asks how a family maintains humor, dignity, and spiritual resilience when faced with inevitable loss.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate warm, period domestic fiction like Little Women or Anne of Green Gables will find much to enjoy in this novel. Ethel Hueston writes with an unpretentious, affectionate voice that balances the quiet tragedy of tuberculosis with genuine family comedy and sisterly banter.

Modern readers should be prepared for early twentieth-century social attitudes and the light sentimental tone typical of popular fiction from 1917. The book moves at an unhurried, episodic pace, focusing heavily on conversations, household tasks, and small daily occurrences rather than high melodrama. Yet its honest portrayal of nursing a terminally ill spouse remains striking. What stays with you is the unshakeable bond between the sisters and the serene courage with which Carol and David transform a devastating diagnosis into a shared journey of love and grace.

<ElicitationsGroup message="If you'd like to explore this book further:"> <Elicitation label="Compare Carol and Connie's views on marriage" query="Compare Carol and Connie's differing perspectives on marriage and women's independence in Sunny Slopes."/> <Elicitation label="Explore the depiction of early 20th-century TB treatment" query="How does Sunny Slopes depict the daily reality and atmosphere of early 20th-century tuberculosis sanitariums?"/> </ElicitationsGroup>