Southworth (Emma D. E. N.) The Hidden Hand

London, Ward & Lock, [?1860].

?First UK edition, possibly first book edition. 8vo. Contemporary half calf.

A hugely popular novel at the time of publication, originally serialised in The New York Ledger in 1859. The story centers on Capitola Black, a playful and audacious orphan girl who, after a series of circumstances, comes to live with her wealthy but unloving uncle in Virginia. Capitola is a tomboyish and adventurous heroine, often dressed in male attire, and she manages to survive numerous threats from a sinister villain named Black Donald who has connections to her mysterious past. Notable for its unusual treatment of gender and race issues for the time, presenting a strong, independent female character as its protagonist and incorporating discussion of the abolitionist movement. Southworth’s portrayal of Capitola was significant during a time when the women’s suffrage movement was gaining momentum in America.

We can trace no copies of this particular edition, at auction or in institutions – a reference to an edition published by Ward & Lock can be found in Bent’s Monthly Literary Advertiser for September 1859. The Fleet Street imprint here suggests the edition was at least printed prior to 1878.