Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn

Young Samuel Clemens was the churchgoing son of a respected man, but he loved to spend lazy hours barefoot on the banks of the Mississippi with "outsiders" such as the slave "Uncle Dan'l" and the illiterate, wild Tom Blankenship—friends who would later become the inspiration for Jim and Huck in one of the most important novels in American literature. Who was Sam Clemens? He was a famous humorist, yet was often moody and miserable. He was hugely successful, but he went bankrupt. As he explores the debate surrounding the publication of Huckleberry Finn, (and examines why it remains controversial today), Stewart Ross creates a memorable portrait of a man almost larger than life, who made an indelible impact on America and its literature. It is a portrait as vivid and unforgettable as the man himself. —*Kirkus Reviews for Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre