David Harum. A Story of American Life

New York: Appleton, 1898. From the Bart Auerbach Collection. A trifle soiled, very slight rubbing at top of spine. A very nice copy. 8vo. Original green cloth, lettered and decorated in green, red and white. First edition, in the rare cloth trial binding – the usual binding color is yellow. This is Westcott's only novel, published shortly after his death. He was a Syracuse banker whose fortunes and health both failed, but he managed to finish the book on his deathbed and it became an instant bestseller, selling 40,000 copies its first year. It is now recognized as a highspot of American regional fiction. "The strength of David Harum lies not so much in the story as in the original characters ... The shrewd, up-state, New York country banker is one of those rarities in American literature – as typical as Uncle Remus or Huck Finn" (Fullerton, pp. 291-2). Bookplate of Estelle Doheny and her penciled signature (light offset from bookplate on opposite free endpaper). BAL 21313; Wright 5876. (BA).