A Mary Wilkins Freeman reader
By: edited by Mary R. Reichardt.
Contributors: Reichardt, Mary R.
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Lincoln
Language: eng
Number of pages: 428
Subjects: Ghost stories, American -- New England; New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
Description: Mary Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930), born in Randolph, Massachusetts, began to publish stories about New England in the early 1880s. In the following decades, Freeman drew widespread praise for her intimate portraits of women and her realistic depictions of rural New England life. She published short stories, essays, novels, plays, and children's books.

Her stories, written in a clear and direct prose, are remarkable for their unpretentious, sympathetic portrayals of the lives of ordinary New Englanders of Freeman's era. Many of the stories depict rebellion against oppressive social and private conditions. Others describe conflicting desires for independence and lasting relationships. This volume of twenty-eight stories is the first to provide a representative sample of Freeman's finest work, from all phases of her career.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. xx-xxi).