Books published by publisher American Roots

Renowned playwright Eugene O’Neill composed this work in 1940 to comfort his wife about the death of their Dalmatian, Blemie. Better known for his despairing and pessimistic dramas, O’Neill’s touching piece, written in the voice of the dying pet, is somehow uplifting and joyous in its touching memory of a life shared between owner and animal. It is sure to comfort anyone experiencing the loss of a beloved, furry member of the family. This short work is part of Applewood’s “American Roots,” series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers.

William Faulkner’s short story “The Bear” was first published in the May 9, 1942 issue of The Saturday Evening Post and is considered one of the best short stories of the twentieth century.The piece is a coming-of-age tale that weaves together themes of family, race, and the taming of the wilderness, as the young main character learns to hunt and track the huge bear known as Old Ben. “Be scared. You can’t help that. But don’t be afraid. Ain’t nothing in the woods going to hurt you unless you corner it, or it smells that you are afraid.”This short work is part of Applewood’s American Roots series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers and thinkers.

One of the most popular pieces of American fiction is Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," originally published in 1820 in Irving's short story collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Set in New York's Hudson River valley after the American Revolution, it is rich with Dutch culture, regional history, and ghost stories. In schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and his adversary the Headless Horseman, Irving created two of the most unforgettable characters in American literature. This short work is part of Applewood's American Roots series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America's most famous writers and thinkers.

Sarah Orne Jewett places her most famous short story, "A White Heron," in her native Maine. Originally published in 1886, it's a coming-of-age story about a young city girl now living with her grandmother in the country. She comes out of her shell in nature, more comfortable with creatures than with people. A visit from a young bird hunter awakens her interest in the opposite sex, but when presented with an ethical decision, she protects her beloved white heron, instead of revealing its location. "...she remembers how the white heron came flying through the golden air and how they watched the sea and the morning together, and Sylvia cannot speak; she cannot tell the heron's secret and give its life away." This short work is part of Applewood's American Roots series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America's most famous writers and thinkers.

A hardcover edition of Carl Sandburg's address given before the Joint Session of Congress in Feburary 1959 on the occasion of Abraham Lincoln's 150th birthday. The Lincoln biographer spoke of the nation's 16th president as a man "who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of a terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect."This short work is part of Applewood's American Roots, series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America's most famous writers and thinkers.

Edgar Allan Poe, the father of American horror fiction, first published his macabre short story “The Black Cat” in the August 19, 1843 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. The frightening tale of a murderer tormented by guilt over his terrible deeds is a classic. The narrator’s admission that much of his bad behavior and deranged thinking is the result of demon alcohol is possibly autobiographical, as Poe himself struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. This short work is part of Applewood’s “American Roots,” series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America’s most famous writers and thinkers.