Charles Waddell Chesnutt Knihy

Set in early-nineteenth-century New Orleans, this historical novel explores the life of Paul Marchand, a free man of color navigating a society rife with racial tensions. Haunted by a prophetic dream of an elderly black praline seller, Marchand becomes embroiled in the intrigue surrounding the dying wealthy Creole, Pierre Beaurepas, and the ensuing greed of his family. Through a thrilling narrative, the story delves into themes of racial identity, self-worth, and family loyalty, vividly portraying the complex social dynamics of the time.

William Wells Brown, Frances E.W. Harper, and Charles W. Chesnutt, three black writers who bore witness to the experience of their people under slavery, create a portrait of black life in the 19th century in these three novels.

A landmark in the history of African-American fiction, this gripping 1901 novel was among the first literary challenges to racial stereotypes. Its tragic history of two families unfolds against the backdrop of the post-Reconstruction South and climaxes with a race riot based on an actual 1898 incident. The author relied upon eyewitness accounts of the riot to create an authentic setting and mood, and his sensitive artistry transcends a simple re-telling of the facts with a dramatic rendering of the conflict between racism and social justice. Unabridged republication of the classic 1901 edition.

Unlike the popular "Uncle Remus" stories of Joel Chandler Harris, Charles W. Chesnutt's tales probe psychological depths in black people unheard of before in Southern regional writing. They also expose the anguish of mixed-race men and women and the consequences of racial hatred, mob violence, and moral compromise. This important collection contains all the stories in his two published volumes, The Conjure Woman and The Wife of His Youth , along with two uncollected works: the tragic "Dave's Neckliss" and "Baxter's Procustes", Chesnutt's parting shot at prejudice.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

With a new introduction, The Conjure Woman is a collection of stories first published in 1899, regarded as a seminal work of African-American literature. Its fantastical tales of plantation life subverted the then racial stereotypes of the gracious slaveowner and their ignorant slaves who enjoyed the patronage of a caring master.