"Tales of City Life" is a is a 1861 work by Catharine Maria Sedgwick. It comprises two short stories, "The City Clerk" and "'Life is Sweet'", both of which offer the reader an authentic insight into day-to-day city life in nineteenth-century America. This book is highly recommended for those with an interest in American history, and it is not to be missed by fans of Sedgwick's work. Catharine Maria Sedgwick (1789 - 1867) was an American novelist and prominent supporter of Republican motherhood whose work is frequently referred to as "domestic fiction". Other notable works by this author include: "Hope Leslie" (1827), "The Linwoods" (1835), "Live and Let Live" (1837). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

The essays in this volume examine the full breadth and complexity of the extensive oeuvre of American literary pioneer Catharine Maria Sedgwick (1789-1867).

A young man envisions an open avenue to early career success only to see it closed by authority. A retiree discovers that, for reasons unclear, each of the key relationships in his life has soured. An early love reappears to a widower in an unexpected encounter. A betrayal has unexpected results. Despite talent, high energy, and commitment, a young man's plans for a long career in the classroom is derailed. In the desert, a businessman has a revelation. A good man is falsely accused and responds to humiliation. Twenty years after he disappeared, an old friend resurfaces with a story to tell. . This collection, undertaken in late life, attempts to examine some of life's mysteries: how early dreams and expectations may go awry; relationships may not be what they seem; evil appears at any time and in many guises; love is not easily defined, explained, or sustained.