Jane Elton is left orphaned by both of her parents who die due to unpredictable ailments.After this traumatic experience, Jane is taken in by herselfish and overbearing aunt Mrs. Wilson's. Faced with a repressive Calvinism practiced by her aunt, and the conservative and rural mentality of her new New England home, Jane longs to break free. She grows up to be a beautiful young woman who catches the eye of many gentlemen lurking around Mrs. Wilson's residence. Still struggling to identify with who she really, while constantly conflicting with her aunt, Jane chooses one of her wooers and marries him out of desperation, although her heart is with another man. Her struggles continue in form of a romantic triangle threatening to end fatally, with many other obstacles standing in the way of her happiness.

An influential work written in the early 1800s, "A New-England Tale" sheds light on attitudes toward women, religion, and parenting during America's formative years.

Written in 1822, A New-England Tale is the first of the many novels, tales, and short magazine pieces Catharine Sedgwick published during her lifetime. The story of an orphan girl in rural New England and the moral trials she faces as she grows up, this early example of the popular nineteenth-century women's novel provides a unique look at the religious and social climate at this crucial period in America's national development. ... A New-England Tale is a classic story of a young woman's moral and material triumphs--

A collection that shows Freeman's many modes - romantic, gothic, and psychologically symbolic - as well as her use of pathos and sentimentality, humour, satire and irony. These stories centre on questions of women's integrity, courage and privation; explore the idea of masculinity; and dramatise the relationship between rural New England and modern culture and commerce. Also included here is 'The Jamesons', a series of sketches about village life reprinted for the first time since the turn of the 20th century. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The writer of this tale has made an humble effort to add something to the scanty stock of native American literature. Any attempt to conciliate favour by apologies would be unavailing and absurd. In this free country, no person is under any obligation to write; and the public (unfortunately) is under no obligation to read. It is certainly desirable to possess some sketches of the character and manners of our own country, and if this has been done with any degree of success, it would be wrong to doubt that it will find a reception sufficiently favourable. The original design of the author was, if possible, even more limited and less ambitious than what has been accomplished. It was simply to produce a very short and simple moral tale of the most humble description; and if in the course of its production it has acquired any thing of a peculiar or local cast, this should be chiefly attributed to the habits of the writer's education, and that kind of accident which seems to control the efforts of those who have not been the subjects of strict intellectual discipline, and have not sufficiently premeditated their own designs

The rich history of New England is captured in enduring works by writers including Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sarah Orne Jewett, Louisa May Alcott and more. From the icy waters of Vermont’s Lake Champlain to the freezing tidal depths of coastal Maine; from New Hampshire’s rocky hills to Connecticut’s stone-walled roads, New England is a microcosm of the American landscape. In a country of proud regionalism, the Yankee spirit stands out in its variegated character and, of course, its rich history. This colorful tapestry of people and place has shaped the literature of New England. Be they tall tales told over the cracker barrel or misty lamentations on love and God, the spectrum of the New England story provides a unique insight on the American soul, and a surprise at the turn of every page. Classic New England Stories is certain to renew New Englanders' love for their small corner of the world and draw them back home from the comfort of their armchairs.

Excerpt from Endura, or Three Generations: A New England Romance The author conceived the idea of making a rascal, unwittingly, furnish the sin ews of war, with the full hope and expectation of enjoying the fortune, as the result which was accomplished, according to the following story, would never have been reached if a great many heirs had been interested and consulted. It was a great stake for a gambler to play for, and, had not Providence interfered, he might have won. Such an accident as the friend of the family's discovering the fraud, could easily have happened. But it was a great question with the author, as to whether the lawyers who had the case in charge, having received retaining fees and large amounts of money from time to time, could honorably abandon his interests, even though the conviction was forced upon them that he was an impostor. The author consulted a number of able attorneys upon the subject, whose opinions differed greatly. And there appeared to be no better way out of the dilemma than that the impostor, himself, should be put out of the way; and nothing was more natural than that his accomplice should be the one to make way with him, when said accomplice became convinced that he had been robbed and fooled by the cunning rascal. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.