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3.0 

A New-England Tale

By Catharine Maria Sedgwick & Susan K. Harris &
A New-England Tale by Catharine Maria Sedgwick & Susan K. Harris &  digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Jane Elton, orphaned as a young girl, goes to live with her aunt Mrs. Wilson, a selfish and overbearing woman who practices a repressive Calvinism. In their rural New England village, Jane grows up yearning to break free from Mrs. Wilson's tyranny and find her place as a citizen of the evolving American Republic. She is helped by her encounters with characters who embody various shadings of moral, religious, and civic virtue: the affectionate servant Mary Hull, a pious Methodist; Mr. Lloyd, a kind Quaker; Crazy Bet, emotional, sympathetic, but deeply unstable; and Old John, bereaved but wise. Ultimately, A New-England Tale is about the connection between parenting and governing, and the key role women play in shaping a fledgling nation. 

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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9 Reviews

3.0
“I actually found this more compelling than I expected. It was written more as a religious tract and morality tale than a novel, yet I found myself drawn into the travails of the orphaned heroine and wanted to keep reading to find out how far her terrible cousins would fall and how long it would take Jane to find love.”

About Catharine Maria Sedgwick

Catharine Maria Sedgwick (1789-1867) was one of the first American women authors to gain prominence. She was born in Massachusetts, where she set several of her works. She published six novels and later wrote on domestic and social issues.

Susan K. Harris is Joyce and Elizabeth Hall Distinguished Professor of American Literature at the University of Kansas.

Emily E. Van Dette is a doctoral candidate at the Pennsylvania State University.

Emily Van Dette

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