Uncls Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - 185

 Harriet Beecher Stowe
Born: June 14, 1811, Litchfield, Connecticut,
Died: July 1, 1896, Hartford, Connecticut

I was motivated to read Uncle Tom's Cabin, the best selling American novel of the 19th century,  by Jane Smiley's comments in her 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel:

"Uncle Tom's Cabin is essential reading both as a novel and as a social document.It is compelling and dramatic, full of vividly wrought characters, wonderful and intelligent dialogue, and ideas that were sophisticated in their time and remain so today"

Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of the best-selling novels of all time and is credited with helping to fuel the abolitionist movement in the United States.

The novel tells the story of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave who is sold away from his family and forced to endure a series of hardships. Tom is eventually beaten to death by his cruel master, Simon Legree. However, Tom's Christian faith and his willingness to forgive his oppressors ultimately inspire others to fight for freedom.

The novel also follows the stories of other characters, including Eliza, a slave who escapes to freedom with her son; George Harris, a free black man who is forced to flee to Canada to escape capture; and Little Eva, a white girl who befriends Tom and teaches him about the power of love.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was a controversial novel when it was first published. Some people accused Stowe of being inaccurate in her depiction of slavery, while others praised her for exposing the evils of the institution. The novel was also criticized for its sentimentality and its portrayal of black characters as being childlike and docile. The term "Uncle Tom" has entered American vernacular as a highly pejorative label.

Despite the controversy, Uncle Tom's Cabin had a profound impact on American society. The novel helped to change public opinion about slavery and contributed to the growing movement to abolish it. The novel was also translated into many languages and became a bestseller around the world.

Mel Ulm