A New-England Tale; Or, Sketches of New-England Character and Manners

Often called by her contemporaries "the American Maria Edgeworth," Sedgwick was the author of 6 novels, nearly 100 sketches and tales, as well as several other books of moral instruction and uplift. Born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a member of a prominent New England family, Sedgwick wrote her first novel, A New-England Tale (1822), to illustrate those domestic virtues that she thought were essential for the well-being of the young nation. But her real importance to American literature is indicated by the subtitle of that book: Sketches of New-England Character and Manners. An important forerunner to the local-color movement following the Civil War, Sedgwick paid particular attention to regional details, particularly in manners and speech, in her realistic depiction of character and place. Hope Leslie; or, Early Times in the Massachusetts (1827), Sedgwick's third novel, is generally regarded as her best book. This is not to say that her other writings, especially her fiction, are unworthy of attention. Sedgwick's oeuvre, which is impressive, has been characterized by Mary Kelley, one of Sedgwick's most astute readers, in this manner: "Tangled romances, satires denigrating fashionable society, tributes to contented spinsters, portraits of New England villages, chronicles of ideal marriages, are all handled with stylistic clarity, subtle wit, and unusual grace."