Born into a family of sixteen children, Nora Ascouth is used to fighting
to be heard. From a young age, Nora becomes determined to have a writing
career, and travels around the world looking for the best place to work.
From Canada, she moves to Jamaica, where she works for a newspaper.
Later, in search of a more personal approach to her work, Nora moves to
Chicago to try to sell her own stories. In her attempts to find a way
publish her work, Nora ends up finding best friends and fellow writers,
Fred and Lolly. The two support Nora as she jumps from job to job, and
they all help each other with their writing. After Nora really settles
in Chicago, she meets a man that captures her heart immediately.
However, as her relationship with Mr. Hamilton grows, conflict arises
when he suggests a move to New York. After they marry, the young couple
set out to a new city, Nora prepares herself to enter the job market yet
again.
With details mirroring author Onoto Watanna's life, Me: A Book of
Rememberance is semi-autobiographical. Through the depiction of the
struggles and powerlessness Nora faces as a working woman in the 19th
century, Me: A Book of Rememberance explores views on race, gender,
and class. With an intimate perspective, Watanna reveals truths derived
from first-hand experience; Watanna worked not just as a woman in
America, but as a woman with Asian heritage in a time where she was
heavily discriminated against.
First published in 1912, Me: A Book of Rememberance is one of Onoto
Watanna's most intimate works, and is rarely found in print. This
special edition features a stunning cover design and is printed in an
easy-to-read font. With these accommodations, this edition of Me: A
Book of Rememberance caters to contemporary readers by restoring the
novel to modern standards while preserving the original intricacy of
Onoto Watanna's work.
