On his return to America in 1833 Cooper found a lack of moral progress; absent were frankness of speech and independence of action; people were actually afraid to criticize anything American; society was interested only in material wealth; young men were physically and mentally lazy; Home as Found was an attempt, perhaps imperfect, to inspire something better. This is the sequel to Homeward Bound. James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was an American novelist, travel writer, and social critic, regarded as the first great American writer of fiction. He was famed for his action-packed plots and his vivid, if somewhat idealized, portrayal of American life in the forest and at sea.