Synopses & Reviews
Prominent author and abolitionist Lydia Maria Child began writing her "letters" from New York in August 1841 as a response to the troubling realities marking her private and public life. In particular, she was preoccupied by her editorial duties at the
National Anti-Slavery Standard and dismayed by the growing sectarian spirit of antislavery reform. Collected primarily from the pages of the
Standard, her literary essays on women's rights, the preaching of African American minister Julia Pell, the Crosby Street Synagogue, animal magnetism, the engineering miracle of Croton Aqueduct, and countless other people, topics, and events capture the breathless and sometimes unsettling transformation of one representative hub of national life.In his general introduction and annotation of the text, Bruce Mills reconstructs the biographical and cultural context surrounding the book's publication and documents substantive changes between the
Standard's version of the letters and the book form. This edition also includes ten letters that Child chose to omit from earlier editions, including essays on the farewell gathering for the Amistad captives at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the near lynching of British abolitionist George Thompson.
Long considered among Child's best writing, Letters from New-York still captivates readers with its moving descriptions of enduring cultural realities. It offers readers a telling glimpse of New York as an emerging urban center and is an invaluable addition to the library of American literature.
Review
"In Letters from New-York Child develops a voice that is personal, conversational, and frank. Her concern for social justice is clearly in evidence. . . . The Letters are among Child's very best work."--Judith Fetterly, coeditor of American Women Regionalists: A Norton Anthology
Review
"Letters from New-York is a valuable contribution to American literary history."--Joel Myerson, coeditor of The Selected Letters of Louisa May Alcott
Synopsis
Prominent author and abolitionist Lydia Maria Child began writing her "letters" from New York in August 1841 as a response to the troubling realities marki
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [267]-268).
About the Author
Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880) is best known as an author, abolitionist, suffragist, and pioneer in children's education. Bruce Mills is an associate professor of English at Kalamazoo College.