A New-England Tale

Jane Elton orphaned as a young girl goes to live with her aunt Mrs. Wilson a selfish and overbearing woman who practices a repressive Calvinism. In their rural New England village Jane grows up yearning to break free from Mrs. Wilson's tyranny and find her place as a citizen of the evolving American Republic. She is helped by her encounters with characters who embody various shadings of moral religious and civic virtue: the affectionate servant Mary Hull a pious Methodist; Mr. Lloyd a kind Quaker; Crazy Bet emotional sympathetic but deeply unstable; and Old John bereaved but wise. Ultimately <i>A New-England Tale</i> is about the connection between parenting and governing and the key role women play in shaping a fledgling nation.&#160;<br><br>For more than seventy years Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1700&#160;titles Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the&#160;series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors as well as up-to-date&#160;translations by award-winning translators.