Description
'so wonderful, strange, and uncommon have been the events of my life, that true history, perhaps, never recorded any that were more so.'The Female American was first published anonymously in London in 1767. Set over a hundred years earlier and encompassing Virginia, Britain, and an unnamed island, this novel tells the story of a half-British, half-Native American woman whose eventful life includes time in Britain andits colonies as well as adventures on a deserted island full of mysterious ruins. Unca Eliza Winkfield, the narrator-protagonist and the "female American" of the novel's title, gets an excellent education, crosses the Atlanticindependently several times, and survives human threats to her life, terrifying natural disasters, and the challenge of adapting to a new environment and culture. The novel also depicts Natives who powerfully criticize European colonization and Natives who welcome Unca Eliza into their community. Although the novel's author has never been identified, the book continued to circulate via its publisher's lending library and was also republished in the United States twice inthe early nineteenth century. It partly echoes Robinson Crusoe but innovates in depicting an active female protagonist who powerfully affects the world well beyond the domestic sphere. As a work offiction depicting colonization, nation-building, religious experience, and racial and gender identity, it provides important historical context for modern issues and remains relevant today. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, includingexpert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.