Jennifer (Inscribed)

William Morrow & Company, New York, 1941. First Edition. Hardcover (Original Cloth). Very Good- Condition. Book Signed by Author. An inscribed copy of a novel by Quaker author Janet Whitney. Based upon the WorldCat listings, it appears this was her first book. It is inscribed "To Caroline Jacob -- | with warm love from her friend | Janet Whitney --." This copy must have been from the first printing, since she has dated it December 1940, though it has a publication date of 1941. Whitney went on to write four more novels and four biographies, usually dealing with Quakers. In this novel she tells the tale of a Quaker girl named Jennifer Carey, born in 1807 to a frail mother and distant father, who sent her off to be cared for by a wet nurse and reared by her her Nurse Biddy. She is pursued by a cad who poisons her father in order to marry her. Jennifer is convicted of the murder of her father and sent to Australia where she tries to clear her name. The book was popular at the time, going through three editions of the English printing. Size: 8"-9" - Octavo (8vo). 427 pages. Item Type: Book. Text block is tight and unmarked, though the pages have toned with age. Bound in bone-colored cloth over boards with the title in dark blue on the front cover and spine. Corners are slightly turned in and slightly worn at the tips. The spine is darkened from exposure and has a mark, probably where adhesive tape held a shelf list label. There is wear at the head of the spine with a 1/4" tear in the middle and at the foot of the spine, which is unraveling. No foxing in this copy. The top page edges are slightly gray from exposure. The side and bottom page edges are clean. Ex-Lib with three markings: (1) A penciled "F | Wh" at the top corner of the front paste-down. (2) A stamp for "The Library | Kendal at Longwood | Kennett Square, PA" that is, unfortunately, stamped below the inscription on the front free end paper and a "Withdrawn" stamp slightly overlapping that. (3) The remnant of a Date Due slip on the rear free end paper and a pocket with "Withdrawn" stamped on it pasted to the rear paste-down. There do not appear to be an internal markings through the text block. Quantity Available: 1. Category: Fiction; Signed by Author. Main Picture: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Front cover and spine with inset of the inscription. Picture 2: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Rear cover and spine. Picture 3: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Rear cover and page edges. Picture 4: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Front cover and page edges. Picture 5: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Free front end paper with inscription and library stamps. Picture 6: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Title Page. Picture 7: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Copyright and Dedication pages. Picture 8: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - First page of the text. Picture 9: Janet Whitney, Jennifer (Inscribed) (1941) - Rear end papers with library markings. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 1278. .