From the Back Cover
Infant Myra is adopted by a wealthy couple and raised in a loving home, unaware of her true parentage and the deception that tore her biological family apart. But when Myra’s adoptive father is riled by her choice of suitor, he reveals the shocking secret of her birth, setting in motion Myra’s fight to regain her family honor and fortune.
Based on the life of Myra Clark Gaines, whose legal battle was one of the most sensational cases of the nineteenth century, this romantic tale is as suspenseful now as it was when it was first published in 1860.
Based on the life of Myra Clark Gaines, whose legal battle was one of the most sensational cases of the nineteenth century, this romantic tale is as suspenseful now as it was when it was first published in 1860.
It is with great pleasure that we bring this classic series of Beadle & Adams dime novels to a new generation. The themes of the American spirit and determination, of courage and bravery, and of friendship, love, and honor are timeless.
About the Author
Ann S. Stephens has the distinction of being the author of the first Beadle Dime Novel ever published, Maleska: Indian Wife of the White Hunter, issued by Beadle & Adams in the dime novel format in 1860, though it had previously been published in 1839. In addition to being one of Beadle's most prolific wrtiers, she also penned stories for The Ladies' Companion and The Ladies' National Magazine.
Although other publishers had attempted to sell cheap books before, Beadle and Adams revolutionized the field of cheap fiction by using cheap paper and bindings, standardizing their formats to make production less expensive, and cutting their prices to the mere ten cents per title from which the Dime Novel got its name in a time when most books sold for a dollar or more. The publisher frequently bought (or pirated) previously published work, but they also created a huge market for the work of women novelists of the time, some of whom remain well known to this day.
Although other publishers had attempted to sell cheap books before, Beadle and Adams revolutionized the field of cheap fiction by using cheap paper and bindings, standardizing their formats to make production less expensive, and cutting their prices to the mere ten cents per title from which the Dime Novel got its name in a time when most books sold for a dollar or more. The publisher frequently bought (or pirated) previously published work, but they also created a huge market for the work of women novelists of the time, some of whom remain well known to this day.
