The Publishing History of Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852–2002

'No American novel is a more eligible candidate for a publishing history than Uncle Tom’s Cabin, whose publication was a national event in its own time and has been a barometer of the national climate ever since. Claire Parfait has expertly taken the measure of that phenomenon in this meticulously researched, comprehensively designed book. Better yet, she has incorporated into its historical coverage a sophisticated analysis about paratexts, illustrations, and reader reception that gives this book a sharp critical edge. This is not only the outstanding publishing history of an American novel but a significant contribution to US literary history.' Ezra Greenspan, Southern Methodist University, USA 'In Claire Parfait, Stowe's remarkable novel has found the chronicler it richly deserves. She takes the reader on a journey from the book's inception through its multiple editions, always with an eye towards what the novel's fraught publishing history and changing status tell us about the conditions of female authorship and most especially each generation's attempts to come to terms with the legacy of slavery in the U.S.' Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University, USA ’The Publishing History of Uncle Tom's Cabin is an important addition to Stowe-scholarship and a valuable resource for further research. Of particular relevance are Parfait's historical findings and the insights into the publishing history of the novel in the 19th century that she grants us. She has dug up many new noteworthy details and has excavated tons of facts and figures.’ Zeitschrift für Anglistik und Amerikanistik