Excerpt from Life and Letters of Peter and Susan Lesley, Vol. 2 of 2 MY father had been for some time failing in health. Whether the excitement of his three delightful months in Boston, was more than his always delicate nervous organiza tion could endure, or whether there were other causes, the fact is clear that soon after his return to Philadelphia in the spring of 1866 he became very ill. He then planned to go abroad for a few months, but as summer approached he became stronger and gave up the idea. 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.

Excerpt from Life and Letters of Peter and Susan Lesley IT has been my desire in writing this Memoir to give a lifelike impression of my father and mother. They were unusually full of vitality, their interests were varied, and their affections strong and constant. Any account of them which did not show their abundant strength of mind and heart would be of little value. The most direct and natural way to accomplish this end has seemed to be the use of their own intimate correspond ence, since by self-revelation rather than by the description of others is the most vivid impression of personality made. Fortunately we had for use not only the long series of their letters, but also a large number of letters to intimate friends. 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.

What was it like for a mother to flee slavery, leaving her children behind? To Free a Family tells the remarkable story of Mary Walker, who in August 1848 fled her owner for refuge in the North and spent the next seventeen years trying to recover her family. Her freedom, like that of thousands who escaped from bondage, came at a great price—remorse at parting without a word, fear for her family’s fate. This story is anchored in two extraordinary collections of letters and diaries, that of her former North Carolina slaveholders and that of the northern family—Susan and Peter Lesley—who protected and employed her. Sydney Nathans’s sensitive and penetrating narrative reveals Mary Walker’s remarkable persistence as well as the sustained collaboration of black and white abolitionists who assisted her. Mary Walker and the Lesleys ventured half a dozen attempts at liberation, from ransom to ruse to rescue, until the end of the Civil War reunited Mary Walker with her son and daughter. Unlike her more famous counterparts—Harriet Tubman, Harriet Jacobs, and Sojourner Truth—who wrote their own narratives and whose public defiance made them heroines, Mary Walker’s efforts were protracted, wrenching, and private. Her odyssey was more representative of women refugees from bondage who labored secretly and behind the scenes to reclaim their families from the South. In recreating Mary Walker’s journey, To Free a Family gives voice to their hidden epic of emancipation and to an untold story of the Civil War era.

Includes book reviews and abstracts.

Excerpt from Life and Letters of Peter and Susan Lesley It has been my desire in writing this Memoir to give a lifelike impression of my father and mother. They were unusually full of vitality, their interests were varied, and their affections strong and constant. Any account of them which did not show their abundant strength of mind and heart would be of little value. The most direct and natural way to accomplish this end has seemed to be the use of their own intimate correspondence, since by self-revelation rather than by the description of others is the most vivid impression of personality made. Fortunately we had for use not only the long series of their letters, but also a large number of letters to intimate friends. It is always difficult to decide how much or how little of a private correspondence it is proper to give to the public in such an undertaking. But, if a true picture is to be shown, family reserve must be thrown aside to some extent, and something more than the mere chronicle of events or the statement of abstract opinions must be included. In preparing these volumes, I have had it constantly in mind that they would be read by many friends for whom everything that related to my father and mother would have interest, and perhaps on that account I have included more than would have been done for an impersonal public. The method of portraiture by means of letters has the disadvantage of lack of continuity in any particular subject. But what it lacks in that respect it gains in vividness. And, since I have not so much wished to make a full record of the external events of their lives as to give a faithful picture of their personalities, I have felt this method to be best fitted to my purpose. 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.

At long last, Sarah Britton, called the “queen bee of the health blogs” by Bon Appétit, reveals 100 gorgeous, all-new plant-based recipes in her debut cookbook, inspired by her wildly popular blog. Every month, half a million readers—vegetarians, vegans, paleo followers, and gluten-free gourmets alike—flock to Sarah’s adaptable and accessible recipes that make powerfully healthy ingredients simply irresistible. My New Roots is the ultimate guide to revitalizing one’s health and palate, one delicious recipe at a time: no fad diets or gimmicks here. Whether readers are newcomers to natural foods or are already devotees, they will discover how easy it is to eat healthfully and happily when whole foods and plants are at the center of every plate.