LIFE AND LETTERS OF HARRIET BEECHER STOWE by STOWE, Harriet Beecher; Annie Fields (editor) - 1897

Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin, 1897. Hardcover. Near Fine. 8vo (7.5 in, 19.1 cm). [i-viii], [1] 2-406 [4] pp; frontis. Riverside Press.

First edition: Prominent author, philanthropist, suffragist, abolitionist, and reformer, Annie Adams Fields (1834-1915) opened many charities including coffeehouses serving inexpensive, nutritious meals and a safe, affordable residence for unmarried working women. Married to James Fields of Ticknor & Fields, she collaborated with him on the choice of new authors. This biography of Annie Fields' close friend, Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896), is based on primary sources, considered to be one of Field's best works, and thought to overshadow the memoir written by Stowe's son in 1889. A talented author herself, Stowe set publishing records with Uncle Tom's Cabin, the first international bestseller. Stowe changed the public perception of slavery, participated in the Underground Railroad, and supported women's rights.

BAL 19509. Feminist Companion 371, 1036. Publisher's olive-brown ribbed cloth with brightly gilt titling and gilt rules on front cover and spine. Top edge brightly gilt; fore and lower edges untrimmed. Inserted frontispiece depicts the bust of Harriet Beecher Stowe with tissue guard. Stands straight. Square corners. Text pages pristine and unmarred. Clean edges. Spine ends slightly creased, boards with minor puckers and slight scuffs, rear endpapers age-toned. Exceptionally well-preserved, tight, and clean first edition.