Hagar's Daughter: A Story of Southern Caste Prejudice (1901-1902) is a
novel by African American author Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins. Originally
published in The Colored American Magazine, America's first monthly
periodical covering African American arts and culture, Hagar's
Daughter: A Story of Southern Caste Prejudice is a groundbreaking
novel. Addressing themes of race and slavery through the lens of
romance, Hopkins' novel is thought to be the first detective novel
written by an African American author.
Set just before the outbreak of the American Civil War, Hagar's
Daughter: A Story of Southern Caste Prejudice takes place on the
outskirts of Baltimore where, on neighboring estates, a man and woman
fall in love. When Hagar Sargeant returns home after four years of study
at a seminary in the North, she meets Ellis Enson, an older gentleman
and self-made man who resides at the stately Enson Hall. After a brief
courtship, the pair are engaged to be married. As the wedding
approaches, Hagar's mother--who has controlled the family estate since
her husband's death--dies unexpectedly, leaving Hagar the home and its
accompanying grounds. Despite this tragic loss, Ellis and Hagar look
forward to starting a family together--but when a man from the deep
south arrives claiming the young woman was born a slave, their lives are
changed forever. Hagar's Daughter: A Story of Southern Caste Prejudice
is a thrilling work of romance and detective fiction from a true pioneer
of American literature, a woman whose talent and principles afforded her
the vision necessary for illuminating the injustices of life in a nation
founded on slavery and genocide.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins' Hagar's Daughter: A Story of
Southern Caste Prejudice is a classic work of African American
literature reimagined for modern readers.
