Hobomok, A Tale of Early Times
is the provocative story of an upperclass white woman who marries an Indian chief, has a child, then leaves him—with the child—for another man. This novel, originally published in 1824, is a powerful first among antipatriarchal and antiracist novels in American literature. In addition, this collection contains seven remarkable short stories; an extract on Indian women from Child's groundbreaking History of the Condition of Women in Various Ages and Nations (1835); a selection from her best-selling volume of journalistic sketches,
Letters from New-York
(1843); and her eloquent
Appeal for Indians
(1868). This revised edition of
"Hobomok" and Other Writings on Indians
includes three new stories: "The Church in the Wilderness," "Willie Wharton," and "The Indians"—as well as explanatory notes and an updated bibliography.