Dissatisfied with life in her rural Wisconsin life, 18-year-old Caroline "Sister Carrie" Meeber moves to Chicago to live with her sister and work in a shoe factory. It doesn't take long for her to realize that factory work is hard and dirty. After becoming ill and losing her job, Carrie is taken in by a rich, handsome man who pays for her apartment and finds her work as an actress. But Carrie soon finds another man to take care of her, who happens to be married and a criminal.

Sister Carrie was originally rejected by publishers for being too sordid. Dreiser fought against censorship of Sister Carrie, which went against social and moral norms of the time. It wasn't until 1981 when the University of Pennsylvania Press issued a scholarly edition that Sister Carrie started gaining popularity. The novel remains an influential example of naturalism and realism and is now considered one of the great American urban novels.

This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket.