'A New Home, Who Will Follow?' by Caroline Kirkland - (American Women Writers) by Sandra A Zagarell (Paperback)

About the Book

Set in the frontier of Michigan int he 1830s, A New Home is the first realistic portrayal of western village life in the United States. Based on Caroline Kirkland's own experiences - and written from a woman's perspective - it narrates with a keen eye and wit the absorbing story of the establishment of the village of Montacute, Michigan.

Book Synopsis

Set in the frontier of Michigan int he 1830s, A New Home is the first realistic portrayal of western village life in the United States. Based on Caroline Kirkland's own experiences - and written from a woman's perspective - it narrates with a keen eye and wit the absorbing story of the establishment of the village of Montacute, Michigan.

A New Home is a vivid contribution to a new kind of narrative developed during the antebellum period, ethnographic fiction. Kirkland highlights the importance and the drama of local practices and everyday life in Montacute. She traces the way two groups of settlers slowly adjust to each other - the old hands and the newcomers from the East;. Dramatizing differences of class and culture, she also shows how the groups finally form a genuine community and a new, diverse culture. Kirkland also gives ethnographic fiction an original twist: she satirizes the provincialism and the rigidity of both groups of settlers.

After writing A New Home, Kirkland became a professional literary woman, working as an editor as well as a writer. In her introduction, Sandra Zagarell explores the implications of Kirkland's writing and professional career for our understanding of women, writing, and the world of literature in antebellum America.

Review Quotes

Anyone interested in the beginnings of American realism, anyone fascinated by authentic portrayals of nineteenth-century frontier life, and anyone curious about women's unique experiences on the frontier will want to discover A New Home.--Annette Kolody "author of The Lady of the Land and The Land Before Her"

About the Author

Sandra A. Zagarell is Professor of English at Oberlin College and the author of Modelling the Nation through Narratives of Community.