Description: Originally published in 1863, out-of-print and unavailable for almost a century, Frances Anne Kemble's Journal has long been recognized by historians as unique in the literature of American slavery and invaluable for obtaining a clear view of the "peculiar institution" and of life in the antebellum South.
Brief description: FRANCES ANNE KEMBLE was a member of a famous theatrical family, and was herself one of the leading lights of the English stage in the nineteenth century. She also published two plays, a volume of poetry, and a number of memoirs about her travels and acting career.
Review Quotes:
A leading British actress, Fanny Kemble married a wealthy Philadelphian during her American tour in 1834. She abandoned the stage and settled into married life, initially unaware of her husband's 'dreadful possessions, ' some 700 slaves on his coastal Georgia plantations. Her Journal covers a period of almost four months, recording grief and outrage at the depredations of slavery. . . . The University of Georgia Press has restored a rightful classic to print.
--Atlanta Magazine