The American Historical Romance

Sometimes survival isn’t just about staying alive… Widowed and alone on the frontier, Elspeth Stewart will do whatever it takes to protect herself and her unborn child from the dangers of the wilderness and of men. Though her youthful beauty doesn’t show it, she is broken and scarred from the way men have treated her. So when a stranger wanders onto Bethie’s land, wounded and needing her aid, she takes no risks, tying him to the bed and hiding his weapons before ministering to his injuries. But Bethie’s defenses cannot keep Nicholas Kenleigh from breaking down her emotional walls. The scars on his body speak of a violent past, but his gentleness, warmth, and piercing eyes arouse longings in her that she never imagined she had. As Nicholas and Bethie reveal to each other both their hidden desires and their tortured secrets, they discover that riding the flames of their passion might be the key to burning away the nightmares of their pasts.

This book traces the tradition of American historical fiction from its origins in the early nineteenth century to the eve of World War II. It examines the historical novel's connections with Enlightenment and Romantic theories of history; with the rise of literary regionalism; with the ambitions of Romantic writers to revive the epic and romance; with changing conceptions of gender roles; and with the authors' troubled responses to the great revolutionary and imperialistic conflicts of the modern era. However, though inevitably much concerned with the theory of genre and with the specific contents of the genre of historical romance, Professor Dekker devotes most of his book to new readings of major texts by James Fenimore Cooper, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Allen Tate, Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, and William Faulkner, as well as to the Briton whose name was synonymous with the genre for most of the nineteenth century - Sir Walter Scott. 'The American Historical Romance is the richest, most fully meditated and most rewarding yet written by this author ... It is the most important book on the relations of British and American fiction to come out for many years. No devotee of the American novel will ignore it.' -- The Times Literary Supplement

In this epic and haunting tale set in Victorian America, a woman must find her way through peril, uncertainty, and loss to find true love. When her beloved father passes away, Esther Silverton, heiress to one of the most powerful fortunes in the nation, believes losing her last family member was the biggest challenge ahead of her. But with her trusted family lawyer vanishing in the Wild West and her father's devious business partner bent on claiming the Silverton fortune for himself, Esther must disappear into the streets of Victorian New York, fearing for her life. Poor, starving, and posing as a man, Esther is desperate to find a way west in search of the only person who can help her claim her fortune. Chance crosses her path with the most attractive English nobleman who has ever stepped foot on American ground, the stunning George Astley, Duke of Aberdeen, who hires her as his American guide into the west. Fresh off the boat, and with his own family at the brink of ruin, George is set to make his way deep into the Wild West to save his investment in a controversial gold mine-at all costs. But the duke is at a loss. Why does he feel so attracted to this pretty-faced, cunning guide of his? Has he lost his mind? Or is there more to this boy whose intelligence, bravery, and selflessness seem to touch the deepest corners of his heart like nobody has ever done before... Oblivious to the fact that the street-smart guide he hired in New York is actually a wanted heiress on her own mission, the two of them set out to not only face the dangers of the lawless American frontier, but also feelings of attraction, sparks, and maybe even love... From the Author: Thank you for considering An Outlawed Heiress & Her Duke. If you love historical western romances, sexy dukes, feel-good romances, sizzling passion, steamy love scenes, and strong heroines, you'll love this adventurous Wild West tale of kindness and true love.

Mathilda Hardwicke, a rebellious artist rejected by her family and New York society, heads west to Gold Rush California as a mail-order bride. But when fate leaves her at the altar, she's drawn to Sakote--a fierce Konkow warrior whose tribe is threatened by the encroaching white men--in whose arms she discovers a savage new Paradise and a forbidden love more precious than gold.

Designed as a companion to The Columbia Literary History of the United States, this compilation of 31 major essays covers the American novel from the 1700s to the present, although the majority deal with the 20th century. Within each era, themes, genres, and topics such as realism, gender, romance, and technology are discussed in depth, as well as modern Canadian, Caribbean, and Latin American fiction. Each essayist selects only the authors who best illustrate the topic, thus subtly skewing the view of the literary scene at that time. The volume also covers women, minorities, popular fiction, and the book marketplace. ISBN 0-231-07360-7: $59.95.

A comprehensive, chronological overview of American literature in three scholarly and authoritative volumes A Companion to American Literature traces the history and development of American literature from its early origins in Native American oral tradition to 21st century digital literature. This comprehensive three-volume set brings together contributions from a diverse international team of accomplished young scholars and established figures in the field. Contributors explore a broad range of topics in historical, cultural, political, geographic, and technological contexts, engaging the work of both well-known and non-canonical writers of every period. Volume One is an inclusive and geographically expansive examination of early American literature, applying a range of cultural and historical approaches and theoretical models to a dramatically expanded canon of texts. Volume Two covers American literature between 1820 and 1914, focusing on the development of print culture and the literary marketplace, the emergence of various literary movements, and the impact of social and historical events on writers and writings of the period. Spanning the 20th and early 21st centuries, Volume Three studies traditional areas of American literature as well as the literature from previously marginalized groups and contemporary writers often overlooked by scholars. This inclusive and comprehensive study of American literature: Examines the influences of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and disability on American literature Discusses the role of technology in book production and circulation, the rise of literacy, and changing reading practices and literary forms Explores a wide range of writings in multiple genres, including novels, short stories, dramas, and a variety of poetic forms, as well as autobiographies, essays, lectures, diaries, journals, letters, sermons, histories, and graphic narratives. Provides a thematic index that groups chapters by contexts and illustrates their links across different traditional chronological boundaries A Companion to American Literature is a valuable resource for students coming to the subject for the first time or preparing for field examinations, instructors in American literature courses, and scholars with more specialized interests in specific authors, genres, movements, or periods.

Night Hawk must have the stunningly beautiful woman he calls his "Flame". It makes no difference that she is a general's daughter, a spoiled Southern belle who is completely unsuited to life as an Indian squaw. All that matters is the searing ecstasy between them.

She vowed to prove indispensable to him. But will she succeed too well?To survive on his newly cleared land outside Jamestown, Thomas Deed needs a field hand, not a wet-nurse. But instead of doing the rational thing, he fulfils a deathbed promise to his sister, borrowing against his land to acquire a woman to care for the babe. Mary Price surprises him, adapting to her harsh surroundings and quickly becoming a godsend. Separated on arrival in Jamestown from her sister, Mary Price knows her only hope of reunion is to stay where her sister can find her. But Deed claims that he will be rid of her long before the term of her service ends. Mary vows to work so hard that he will never give her up and succeeds in ways she never imagined. As the pair struggle against the wilderness and their growing desires, when the time comes, will he give her up or find a way to keep her forever?Colonial Virginia, 1644.