The Essential Pauline E. Hopkins (2021) compiles several iconic works
of fiction by a pioneering figure in American literature. Contending
Forces was Hopkins' first major publication as a leading African
American author of the early twentieth century. Originally published in
The Colored American Magazine, America's first monthly periodical
covering African American arts and culture, Winona: A Tale of Negro
Life in the South and Southwest is a groundbreaking novel that
addresses themes of race and colonization from the perspective of a
young girl of mixed descent. Hagar's Daughter: A Story of Southern
Caste Prejudice is thought to be the first detective novel written by
an African American author. Also included in this collection is "Talma
Gordon," an influential short story, and Of One Blood, Hopkins' final
novel.
Winona: A Tale of Negro Life in the South and Southwest opens on an
island in the middle of Lake Erie, where White Eagle--recently displaced
after the dissolution of the Buffalo Creek reservation--has built a home
for himself and his African American wife. Adopting her son Judah, White
Eagle establishes a life for his family apart from the prejudices and
violence of American life. Their daughter Winona grows to be proud of
her rich cultural heritage. 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. 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 dies unexpectedly, leaving
Hagar the family estate. When a man from the deep south arrives claiming
the young woman was born a slave, their lives are changed forever.
Contending Forces is the story of Charles Montfort, a planter from
Bermuda who moves with his family and slaves to North Carolina. There,
he plans to free his slaves, drawing condemnation from his neighbors and
risking violent retaliation. When a rumor spreads regarding his wife's
ancestry, Montfort suspects Anson Pollack, a former friend, of planning
to dispossess him. In these wide-ranging tales of race, class, and
social convention, Hopkins proves herself as 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 The Essential Pauline E. Hopkins is a classic work of
African American literature reimagined for modern readers.
