Barbara Newhall Follett: A Life in Letters - Softcover

Follett, Barbara Newhall

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0996243119 ISBN 13: 9780996243117

Publisher: Farksolia, 2015

Synopsis

By the age of 14, Barbara Newhall Follett had published two books with Alfred A. Knopf: 1927's enchanting "The House Without Windows and Eepersip's Life There" and 1928's "The Voyage of the Norman D."—Barbara's account of her journey from New Haven to Nova Scotia as "cabin boy" on a lumber schooner. Both books received rave reviews. But that same year Barbara's life turned upside down when her father left his family for a younger woman. With no income, Barbara and her mother went to sea with their typewriters, hoping to earn a living by writing about their adventures. They spent several months in the West Indies, then sailed through the Panama Canal to the South Seas, where they spent several more months before eventually returning to East Coast. After living in New York City for two years, Barbara's wanderlust returned when she and her future husband embarked on a 600-mile walk in the mountains of New England along the nascent Appalachian Trail. After spending another year exploring Spain and Germany, the couple settled in Boston. But in 1939 the marriage soured, and on December 7th of that year 25-year-old Barbara walked out of the apartment, never to be seen or heard from again. This book, compiled and edited by Barbara's half-nephew, tells the story of Barbara's extraordinary life through her own words.

About this title

Review

Laura E. Smith: "This is such a beautiful collection--not to mention a fascinating story. Barbara's life is equal parts inspiring and haunting. I am particularly fond of the letters to her fellow shipmates (the girl had guts!) and "ADR." Barbara had such a striking voice and is a modern figure in so many ways. She traveled all over the world by sea, traversed part of the Appalachian Trail, and published a novel at twelve. Stefan Cooke, the collection's editor, has such a gentle touch, offering introductions and explanations to Barbara's letters when necessary. I would recommend this to anyone who loves the outdoors or an intriguing, occasionally confounding story about a young girl searching for the best way to live." Tim: "Amazing book! Reading the letters from Barbara, especially the early ones, you really get a sense just what a genius she really was, which makes what happened all the more a tragedy. I hope this book, along with all the recent interest in Barbara's life help keep her work alive long after she left us. Stefan Cooke did a great job of letting Barbara come to us through her words, without editorializing or injecting his own armchair psychoanalysis. He just gives us well researched and nuanced context that helps us understand."

About this edition

• Publisher: Farksolia
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0996243119
• ISBN 13: 9780996243117
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 638
• Editor: Cooke Stefan