Three Lives (1909) is a collection of novellas by Gertrude Stein.
Characterized by its straightforward narrative style and disjointed
prose, Three Lives proved a breakthrough for Stein, who had previously
found it difficult bringing her works to publication. Each novella is
set in Bridgepoint, a fictionalized version of Baltimore, where working
class people of all races undergo the dignities and indignities of life
in an industrialized nation. In "The Good Anna," an immigrant
housekeeper working in the home of a wealthy woman commands respect and
order from all who cross her path. Caring only for her three small dogs,
she does her best to forget a traumatic past. Having lost her mother in
Germany at a young age, Anna moved to Bridgepoint with hope for a better
future, but poor health and unlucky relationships haunt her throughout
her life. "Melanctha" is the story of a young mixed-race woman who
suffers from a lack of opportunity in a segregated city. Despite being
honest and empathetic, she constantly finds herself betrayed and
abandoned by those she trusts, and soon her pure heart and kind nature
reach their limit. In "The Gentle Lana," another German immigrant
endures the banality and heartbreak of unhappily married life, raising a
family and caring for a home without ever feeling fulfilled as an
individual. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset
manuscript, this edition of Gertrude Stein's Three Lives is a classic
work of American literature reimagined for modern readers.
