BORDEN BOOK CLUB (Lincoln / Chapters 6-11)

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 2:57 pm

I see that there has bee some posts about this second section of reading in in the one for the first section. I am wondering if we keep each section that we cover, separate, that it would make it easier for those who may want to read it later, or if we ourselves want to look back ? Anyway, here are my thoughts on book 1 / chapters 6-11.

Tracy...

terrie · Post by **terrie** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 4:37 pm

am relieved that I am not the only one who has had a rough week and isn't quite caught up...lol.

So far, reading this section has reminded me why I couldn't stand VL in college and still don't like her. It isn't that she doesn't have anything worth noting --- she certainly does, and she has every right to her opinions --- but I tire very quickly with her judgmental attitudes and smarmy, catty cut downs, especially of Abby, whom she did not know. The line that really drives me crazy is on page 67 --- "...the problem was, in essence, Abby's fat; if she had weighed thrity or fourty pounds less, Andrew Borden might well have died in his bed..." Maybe I am misreading this, or do not understand VL's tone... but what in the world is she suggesting? That AB would have been better off if he could have been butchered in his own bed (vs) the horsehair couch, but his fat slob of a wife was too big to allow him this one grace? How does Abby become the victimizer and not the victim?

I do not, generally, care for psuedo-factual books that promise analyses but deliver opinions. VL is not the only writer who does this... but she does do this. And then she writes of Lizzie (p. 71) "...she manipulates fact but she cannot invent it"... to me, this describes VL. I guess it is a pet peeve of mine, and that shows in my unhappiness with VL's book.

I may as well state, too, that to VL I would be an underdone suet pudding of a woman or whatever she calls Abby... and it grates on me to hear her constant judgments of Abby's weight. So... I, too, have an axe to grind....so to speak.

On the positive side (hee hee) I am intrigued by some of her suggestions. Did Lizzie really hide when JV Morse was around? I wonder what that was about? And I do appreciate VL expressing concern that the beheaded pigeon situation was not given proper merit. I agree that it is a very powerful part of the whole case. Although, I do wonder at her characterization of LB's love for animals as "... almost pathological..." I think (and, again, I am borrowing from my own life here) that LB was in a very painful situation and the unconditional love and companionship of "dumb animals" (as they were known in her day) was of great counsel to her. The pathology, to me, is in the Borden household, not in LB's great devotion to animals.

I do appreciate, too, VL's discussion of the so-called wrapper LB was said to have worn that day. Here, I think VL does show invaluable insight . The idea of two similarly colored dresses and LB changing from one to the other... and being surprised by Andrew coming home early before she could slip out the door in the second dress... makes me wonder....hmmmm....

And her theory of LB's motive for murdering Abby and Andrew seems sound to me... pathological hatred of the one, and a near-obsessive adoration of the other, so much as to want the one dead... and being unable to bear losing the esteem of the other... so that he must die before he sees her differently....

Nancie · Post by **Nancie** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 5:33 pm

That was good Tracy, thanks. I got to thinking about
the weight thing, back then maybe it was a really
big issue if your wife was fat? I remember many
years ago my brother-in-law saying about a customer in his drug store: "she was so obese I just
had no respect for her.." Well since then both him and his wife have grown quite hefty so he doesn't
make those judgemental remarks anymore. But I
bet back in 1892 it might have been an issue if your
wife was fat? I wonder how big a deal it was?

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 5:47 pm

Auds...you make a great point when you say "Although it may have offered an insight to FR and it's way of thinking, I found the Lincoln book to be little more than a 317 page self assurance of her and her families' social position."

Terrie...again I agree with you on so many points. Your assessment of Lincoln's attitudes fall right in line with mine. The "she manipulates fact, but she cannot invent it" really does seem to apply to Lincoln as well. And yes, Lincoln does make many good points. I too, liked her concern about the pigeon situation. I am beginning to understand more about what Lizzie did/didn't/was going to wear the morning of the murders. Your assessment of Lincoln's idea for Lizzie's motive for killing Andrew does make some sense. But right now, I am not quite ready to believe Lizzie herself, swung an axe.

Nancie, yes, it is true that we can't change the way we grew up, the way we were raised. I am not sure how discussing our beliefs/feelings about Lincoln's book, particularly points where we disagree with her views, is disrespectful. I think we are giving her respect because we ARE reading her book. We don't always disagree with what she wrote. She truly had a view of this case that none of us could have. It's just when she uses her "from the hill" opinion in place of the truth sometimes, it can be frustrating.

Tracy...

Nancie · Post by **Nancie** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 5:54 pm

You are right Tracy, well said.

diana · Post by **diana** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 8:48 pm

I’m really enjoying close reading A Private Disgrace. It’s like a little study guide for the case. In order to rebut, I have to go back and do my own research to find out why she and I are at odds and that’s the fun part for me.

I'll try to post this as a document....

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:52 am

Diana, thanks for clearing up the bit on Mrs. Raymond's testimony for me. When you say you could "go on and on" about THAT day being "the hottest day in memory"...do you mean because maybe it wasn't as hot that day as it has been made out to be ? It seems like I remember somebody posting something at one time about how it wasn't THAT hot on August 4th, 1892. But maybe I am confused...

Tracy...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 2:03 am

"19C. Two weeks before the murders, Uncle John drove his niece - - the proposed housekeeper - - over to Swansea to look the place over; she had not seen it before. WHO was this niece ? I know it has been mentioned in the forum, but I can’t remember."--Tracy, our member.

This is niece Anna Morse, daughter of Wm. Bradford Morse, John Morse's older brother. She was visiting at the Dan Emery's with her brother when John V. went there Thursday morning. They were from Minnesota and William is the brother John V. went to live with for a year when he first went west in 1854, before William's marriage.
She was left a large portion of John V.'s estate and went to see him in Iowa as he was dying.
--"The Elusive John Morse", Joe Carlson, The Hatchet, June/July, 2004, Vol. 1, Issue 3, pg. 14.

............
Evening Standard
Friday, August 5, 1892 Page 2

"HAVE A CLEW!"

"Morse’s niece was asked if she had ever seen her uncle before, and replied that she had. She had met him when she was five years old, and three weeks ago he had taken her from the cars at Warren to the Borden farm, Swanzey.

Mr. Morse’s memory in regard to his niece is somewhat defective. He had said that he went to call on her for the first time yesterday. He was interviewed again.

'I thought that you told me, Mr. Morse,' said the interviewer, 'that you never saw your niece before to-day?'

'I never did,' replied Mr. Morse.

'She says,' was the rejoinder, 'that you met her in Warren and drove her to Swanzey.'

'Ah, that is so. I did,' said Mr. Morse. 'I saw her for just a moment or so.' "
................
Will of John Morse:

"THIRD: I give and bequeath to my niece Anna E. Morse, my silverware.

FIFTH: I give and bequeath all my stocks in Mills at Fall River, Mass., and all moneys in banks a: New Bedford, Mass., or Hastings, Iowa, except so much as be needed to pay debts or expenses named in clauses one and four above. One third to Anna E. Morse, daughter of my brother Wm. B. Morse."...

--I don't know the reference that Anna was to be housekeeper at the Swansea farm if JVM got it.
_______

So far so good, Tracy and Diana! I'm glad Diana tackled the Raymond question- I was thinking when I read it "This is a job for Diana!"

Thank Gawd.

I've only gotten to 21 and my comment at 20 would be if we are convinced by Knowlton's attempted questioning of Bridget that she was the one Abby went to to tell where she was going, then wouldn't Andrew have more easily asked Bridget where was Mrs. Borden?
At 21 my intrepretation is that Lincoln is saying that Andrew might have well died in his bed, meaning of natural causes in his old age, rather than murdered. How this equates to Abby's weight I don't understand- my copy of Lincoln, which I thought was asleep, turns out to be at Stefani's house.

(I think I hit my all-time high "EDIT" record.)

diana · Post by **diana** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 3:32 am

Tracy -- I've been hunting for hours in the archives for the discussion about the weather. I remember I thought for a long time that the weather was as hot as Knowlton, Phillips, and almost all the 'authors' would have us believe -- but was finally convinced otherwise by copies of weather data that appeared in a LBQ article. I think Kat and William know more about this topic.

I just can’t find our discussion about it. I know the information appeared in an LBQ but the closest I can come is a bit on the LAB website indicating there is an article in the January 1997 issue LBQ with a:
“United States Signal Service report for Fall River that shows the meteorological record for the month of August 1892. The report shows that 4 August 1892 was not a hot day as had been believed, but a relatively moderate one.”

I really shouldn’t rag on Victoria for this, though. A newspaper report published 9 days after the murders said “It was held that the loft on a hot day was like an oven and it was considered impossible, to say the least, that a refined and cultured lady, unaccustomed to hardship, would remain in such a place for 20 minutes unless something imperative demanded it …” (New Bedford Evening Standard, August 13, 1892:2). At trial, the prosecution pushed the point that August 4 was very hot and Knowlton hammered it home in his closing. And Arthur Phillips referred to the murder day as “superlatively” hot when he wrote about it in the 1940’s.

So Lincoln was not alone in suggesting it was a very hot day – and in fact, now I wish I hadn’t even raised that point in my book report. I guess that’s the problem with posting a document, though – you can’t go in and edit it.....

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:57 am

I think it was proven to be hot the week before that- a real heat wave- which ended before the murders. No one really knows for sure why the state wanted it to be so hot that everyone was misled in their questioning. I think the high was 82 or something. I understand your chagrin at bringing this up Diana, it's a tough one. And yes, it's in the LBQ and the actual picture of the temperature report is there.
I rag on Phillips all the time. He has propagated myths and he was a defense attorney!

I forgot to mention that Lizzie came back to town on a Tuesday the 26th of July, not a Sunday as was transcribed as by Lincoln. It's possible she went out of town again the Saturday, July 30th but that is still not the Sunday mentioned. (At Point #22).

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 7:42 am

Diana...do not worry at all about the hot weather point. I had thought about it sometime back and thought "where did I hear that it wasn't as hot as they say it was ?"...now I know. So, you at least cleared that part up for me.

Kat...How does Lincoln get those dates mixed up ? Maybe I should read through the trial transcripts more carefully. Are those dates listed there ? Thanks for the info on Anna Morse. I knew I had heard that named before. I was thinking that it was dicussed in the forum, but I guess it was that article from the HATCHET.

Grrrrrrr to me for not remembering all of these sources. Thank you Kat and Diana for reminding me. One of these days I will be able to remember. I am going to rearrange my computer room so that all of my Lizzie sources are right at my finger tips.

Tracy...

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 8:40 am

I have one question about Section 6, page 60.

"But Lizzie did not go to Marion when she left Emma. She spent the rest of that day, the next day, and the night that followed it, in a small boardinghouse on Madison Street. A painstaking D.A. found satisfactory evidence that during that time she made more than one unsuccessful attempt to buy prussic acid. Having failed, she went to Marion for part of the day, but she was restless and abstracted and left by mid- afternoon to go back to her room on Second Street."

Where does this information about these attempts at buying prussic acid come from? I have heard this somewhere before, but I cannot for the life of me remember where right now.

In section 8 on page 67 when she says "The problem was, in essence, Abby's fat; if she had weighed thirty or forty pounds less, Andrew might well have died in his bed."

What I think she was insinuating is that Abby was too over weight to leave the house very much. That she would not, and could not travel if it involved walking any distance, that she required a hack to get around. Therefore she did not get out much, and hadn't many friends.If she would've weighed less and went out more, Lizzie would not have been as suspicious if she had said she was going to visit a friend and it would've been easier to sneak off to the bank to transfer the deed. I don't really buy into that, but, I think this is what Victoria was inferring.It seems to me she goes on a great deal about Abby's weight. And her remarks that she "was not the type to linger long at the toilet table." and that she was not an experienced talker.She seems to take a sort of delight in making these little jabs at Abby.

On page 86 she has us assuming a lot.

"Let us assume that he warned the young man that Mrs. Borden might change her mind, but that he should give her plenty of time to come out,
that he should not go back to the house himself, and that if it became clear that she had changed her mind, he should go right back to South Dartmouth and - as agreed- not mention the errand. ( And of course, be rewarded for his discretion).

Let us also assume that the young man who had the door slammed in his face had just delivered the pretended "note from Mrs. Whitehead."

Uncle John, waiting nearby, just cautiously out of sight of the door and the
chattering maids at the rear of the narrow side-lot, would have been tense and vastly attentive to sights and sounds. Yes, I think we may safely assume that he was afraid of what Lizzie might know, and what Lizzie might do.

He was not alone is such fears."

I think she assumes to much in too many areas. I think she should have stuck to the facts more.Sorry if I am behind, and I did a lot of editing on this one, but I have been working on the site Kat suggested I make, and seeing as I had no idea what I was doing at first

it took me awhile to get it figured out.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:25 am

Don't worry about being behind. We are not in a big hurry. You are right about Licoln and her assumptions...too many. It seems that most of us are in agreement on that point.

Tracy...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 4:53 pm

Inquest
Lizzie
54 (11)
Q. When was the last time when you have been away for more than a night or two before this affair?
A. I don't think I have been away to stay more than a night or two since I came from abroad, except about three or four weeks ago I was in New Bedford for three or four days.
Q. Where at New Bedford?
A. At 20 Madison street.

.................

Preliminary Hearing
Bridget
Page 2

Q. When she [Emma] was gone, who did the family consist of? Who was left for the family? Who was the family then?
A. Mr. and Mrs. Borden, and Miss Lizzie. Miss Lizzie went with her [Emma] the day she went.

Q. She did not stay long? How long did she stay?
A. I guess she stayed three days, so far as I can remember.

Q. When she came back, did she go off again?
A. No Sir.

........
53
Q. Emma was away?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. Emma had been away two or three weeks?
A. About two weeks I should judge.

Q. What day did she go away?
A. Thursday.

Q. Did Lizzie go with her?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. When did Lizzie come home?
A. I could not tell. She came home either a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Q. Then she was gone more than three days?
A. I do not know.

Q. Did not you say yesterday she was gone three days?
A. That is what I merely came to know, so far as I could understand.

Q. Lets have it over, and see. Lizzie and Emma went away, and they went on a Thursday?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. Lizzie returned on the following Tuesday you think?

Page 54

A. I think so.

Q. There is Thursday and Friday and Saturday, three; and if she came back Tuesday, she was gone five or six days instead of three, was not she? That would be right, would not it?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. So when you said that, you meant she was gone about three days, not exactly three days? Emma was away from that time up, until after this tragedy, this trouble?
A. Yes Sir.

Q. Did Lizzie go away any time after that, and before the tragedy?
A. I cannot tell.

Q. Did she not go away a Saturday?
A. I dont know.

Q. Did she go away the Saturday before the tragedy?
A. I cannot remember.

Q. Did she go away Sunday?
A. I do not know.

--------

Then Emma is questioned at the Trial about meeting up with Lizzie again after Lizzie came home. See Trial 1552. That may be when Lizzie was last in Marion. The questions seem to point to Saturday, July 30th.
--Once we get into Lizzie's menses, we can anticipate that her period started probably appozimately Thursday, July 28th, ending 7 days later on Wednesday August 3rd. The PMS period of time might encompass the 5 days previous to onset, which would be around July 23rd, 4 days after her birthday. I guess we will come to this later. But I've wondered how hard it would be to travel and stay places in those days with a period, especially if one had a bad one. Maybe the timing of Lizzie's visit was in order to be home for her period- so she may not have gone away again the Saturday.
However, while in her PMS state (if she was prone to that) she would be in Marion the 25th and Westport, Tuesday the 26th, and returning home that same day. If Lizzie saw her friends in Marion on the 25th, which is possibly the date she tells Alice about, then her peculiar feelings might be during her PMS time, but not her period time.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:23 pm

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:36 pm

Thanks Kat, I knew I had heard that before, it just would not come to me where I had heard it. I have started making notes for the next section we are going to discuss so that maybe I can keep up with you all, but my classes are going to be starting again soon also. Break is over

.

I think Lincoln has some very good ways of fitting the known evidence together. Some of her ideas I find very interesting, and very plausible. It is when she begins to draw her own conclusions and present them as if they were fact that I start getting frustrated. I love the book, and I still believe it has a lot of merit when it comes to recounting the events and evidence. I just wish we could've used that line from Dragnet on Victoria Lincoln "Just the facts ma'am."

I have to stop and wonder when reading the book, if Lincoln grew up in the society of Fall River, bound by the same social values and structures that Lizzie basically grew up with, does Lincoln's attitude give us a good indicator of how the rest of society may have viewed the Bordens?

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:19 pm

I agree that it's too bad that Lincoln didn't remember..."just the facts ma'am."

Tracy...

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:40 pm

I always thought way too much was made of Abby's weight. The books describe her weight as "200", "nearly 200", "over 200" etc.

That in my estimation is not grossly obese. I've known numerous women of that weight, or greater, who got around quite well. 200 lbs. is hardly the circus fat lady.

Wasn't it Abby and sometimes Andrew who did the daily food shopping? She also paid regular visits to Sarah Whitehead on 4th Street. I doubt if she used a carriage on either of these.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:05 pm

How would you all like to handle the reading of the next section, Book 2 / Chapters 12-20 ? Should we take half at a time like we did with Book1 ? or should we take all week...do the whole thing, and report on it this coming Saturday or Sunday ? I was just thinking that with everyone's tight schedules, maybe more time would be good ? I am up for whatever.

Tracy...

Audrey · Post by **Audrey** » Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:14 pm

I think Harry is right...

Some authors paint Abby as being one of those overweight people that can not leave the house, need a rag on a stick to bathe and are just waiting for Richard Simmons to show up with a camera.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 1:54 am

You are right Kat, Lincoln really does paint Lizzie up to be some sort of monster.

Tracy...

(OK...this is weird...I posted this AFTER Kat's message...and now I am ahead of it ???)

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 2:29 am

I just have a few personal opinions on the subject of the note covered in 23A -24D, Lincoln.

If Lizzie thought Abby had really received a note, I'm thinking she probably wouldn't act that day, not being sure from whom the note came. A note would imply to Lizzie that Abby was expected somewhere and as a no-show, someone might come looking for her. This event is outside the normal daily routine as we know it, and thus I believe the murder would have been postponed, even if it was an arranged
*hit*.

At 24E. the transcription specifies Lincoln writes:
"If no note came, it is the only specific object that she [Lizzie] mentions that was not later proved to have actual, physical existence."

To what else is she referring? Sinkers? Lines at the farm? A screen that needed fixing? Did Ms. Lincoln check these out to see if they *existed*? Lizzie also said "A man came" that morning. That's a thing with potential physical existence provable in the real world, but no man was found. This also speaks to the subject at 24D. where Lincoln claims:

"In the first place, a young man was seen going to the front door at nine; it was briefly opened to him, but he did not go in." Who is that?

What other physical objects could she mean- any thoughts?

Then through 27. this elaborate subterfuge seems extreme to me. Why all the secrecy? Why didn't Abby go out with Andrew? Lincoln makes it sound like Lizzie was some dangerous, caged animal on the loose. Why can't Lizzie know what's afoot on Thursday? How can she stop Andrew and Abby that morning as they are leaving the house together, especially if they are expected downtown at the bank to sign something? At this point it's too late The more people who know, the safer the transaction would be.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:05 am

When I posted I went thru a time warp. It happened again to Harry and myself in Stay To Tea on Audrey's Birthday Greetings topic. We posted around midnite but it shows us as 2:30 am or something. Stranger things have happened!

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:01 am

Maybe Lincoln is after us !

Tracy...

Nancie · Post by **Nancie** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 5:32 pm

I agree with Allen that VL's view on everything mirrored the views of Fall River at the time and their snobbish impressions of the Bordens. I truly
wish we could see a picture of VL, I think we would
see a refined old lady with sincere eyes. Any luck
anybody of digging up a pix?

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 5:58 pm

I have tried everything I know to find one on the internet, all that comes up when I do a search are pictures of cars. It's hard to find any information about her on the net period. I am going to start searching libraries and other sources.

Nancie · Post by **Nancie** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:23 pm

she graduated from Radcliffe, I wonder if there is
a graduation photo of her there in the yearbook.
I had no luck searching either.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:25 pm

This is a repeat post, but I thought maybe I would 'say' it again in case you all are ready to start the next section. Let me know what you think ?

How would you all like to handle the reading of the next section, Book 2 / Chapters 12-20 ? Should we take half at a time like we did with Book1 ? or should we take all week...do the whole thing, and report on it this coming Saturday or Sunday ? I was just thinking that with everyone's tight schedules, maybe more time would be good ? I am up for whatever.

Tracy...

diana · Post by **diana** » Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:58 pm

Hi Tracy -- My vote is for reading all of Book Two and seeing if we can get back with something next weekend. But I'm OK if others want to do it differently.

theebmonique · Post by **theebmonique** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:51 am

Diana, I like the idea of doing Book 2 all at once as well. If there are no objections...let's get started.

Tracy...

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:54 pm

Nancie @ Tue Jan 11, 2005 5:32 pm wrote:I agree with Allen that VL's view on everything mirrored the views of Fall River at the time and their snobbish impressions of the Bordens. I truly
wish we could see a picture of VL, I think we would
see a refined old lady with sincere eyes. Any luck
anybody of digging up a pix?

Yes, there's a chance!
I just spoke to Len Rebello (for an hour) and we talked a bit about Lincoln. He has her wedding picture and says, in it, to him, c. 1923, with her big hat and veil, she looks like a young Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl!
He says later she no longer looked like Streisand. She had a long face, rather pretty. I think he will lend the photo.

Edit here:
I just heard from a member who may also have a source!

Nancie · Post by **Nancie** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:19 pm

woohoo! can't wait to see it!

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:37 pm

I am very interested to know what Victoria Lincoln looked like. It will be good to see her face at last.

Nancie · Post by **Nancie** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 1:45 pm

Has anyone read "February Hill" or any of VL's other
books? I have been unsuccessful in finding them
but the titles I have (unless there is another Victoria
Lincoln) are: Teresa, A Woman
Charles
Grandmother & the Comet
The Wind at my Back
A Dangerous Innocence
Desert Water
Out from Eden
The Wild Honey
and a story in Harper's bazaar "a woman's world".
My Nancy Drew sense tells me if we are going to
pick apart "A Private Disgrace" in a complete way
we should research her other writings as well? ha good luck finding any, I have had zero luck. The library at Princeton U has a copy of February Hill tho, I may take a day off to go see it.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 2:27 pm

You gave me an idea Nancie. The library at my college is usually a good place to find those books that are usually hard to find anywhere else. So I checked online for any books they may have by Victoria Lincoln.
Interestingly enough the only book they have on file for her is Out From Eden. I think I will check it out. I will try my local library today.Good idea Nancie. I think reading some of Lincoln's other books would be very interesting.

Main Author: Lincoln, Victoria,
Title: Out from Eden /
Primary Material: Book
Publisher: Chicago : Sears Readers Club, c1951.

diana · Post by **diana** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 7:14 pm

That's a good idea -- taking a look at Lincoln's other books. I couldn't find anthing in my local libraries -- but did find this synopsis of Out From Eden in a bookseller's listing on ABE.

"3 parallel love stories surrounding a family where the father is a painter (when he is able to function), the mother automatically strips and takes the appropriate pose (no matter who is present), and their two remarkable children."

Sounds a little saucy. Most of her books on this site go for between $1 - $5 -- with the exception of two first editions of The Swan Island Murders (1930) -- they are listed at $120 and $300.

The website below reproduces the blurb on the back cover of February Hill and also gives us the first line in the book:

-- "The Harris family lived in a shanty, but it was a good, tight, waterproof shanty, and if you had called it a house you might have found yourself some justification, chiefly in the assured though rakish air with which it wore an indubitable front porch."

http://www.miskatonic.org/books/jun95.html

Obviously her style picked up over the next few decades.

February Hill was made into a play entitled "The Primrose Path" and produced by George Abbott in 1939 -- it was done as a movie in 1940 (as the Primrose Path) with Marjorie Rambeau, Ginger Rogers, and Joel McCrea.

February Hill came out in the '30's, I guess -- and it was considered a little scandalous at the time because the mother in the piece was a prostitute. (So it looks as though Victoria didn't adopt that discreet cloak of Fall River morality until about 30 years later when she was writing about our Lizzie.)

I seem to remember something about a lawsuit brought by a family who claimed Lincoln depicted them in February Hill and even used some of their real names for her characters -- but maybe I dreamt this because I can't find that information anywhere now. Never mind ....