Shame the Devil (Excelsior Editions) [Hardcover]

Debra Brenegan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2011 | Series: Excelsior Editions

Based on the remarkable and true story of the nineteenth-century novelist, journalist, and feminist Fanny Fern.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brenegan's Fanny Fern is a marvel--fiercely determined, passionate, and alive with a strikingly modern wit. Shame the Devil is a fine tribute to the writer who paved the way for generations of women." -- Kelly O'Connor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

"Like Margaret Fuller and Emily Dickinson, her contemporaries of the mid-nineteenth century, Fanny Fern was an American woman far ahead of her time. Debra Brenegan has brought the drama of Fanny Fern's story to life in her carefully researched and stirring biographical novel Shame the Devil. There is an authenticity to every page brimming with the flavor of Fern's era and the drama of her insurgence against puritanical social mores and unjust patriarchal laws. The characterization of the young rebellious Sara Willis, later to be known as the famous columnist Fanny Fern, in the beginning pages of the book is lively and endearing and sets the stage for the pioneering adventures that follow. The reader will find it hard to put down this book as it takes one on a thrilling and adventurous journey into the life of a great American humanitarian--an advocate of women's and children's rights who forged her way into the American mind, leaving behind a rich legacy of accomplishment upon which we continue to thrive in our struggle to progress toward being fully decent and enlightened humans." -- Daniela Gioseffi, author of Wild Nights, Wild Nights: The Story of Emily Dickinson's "Master," Neighbor and Friend and Bridegroom

"Debra Brenegan has created a lively portrait of an amazing woman. The heart-wrenching ups and downs of Fanny Fern's life make for riveting reading, and the lush depictions of mid-1800s Boston and New York, peppered with glimpses of Walt Whitman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Harriet Jacobs, make for a vivid, rollicking tale of one of the most pivotal moments in American literary history." -- Tina May Hall, author of The Physics of Imaginary Objects

"In her wide-ranging way, Debra Brenegan turns an age of great social and artistic change--for the races, for women, for the country--into a narrative of compelling characters. This novel emerges from history and becomes something more valuable--great literary art. Brenegan's Fanny, her family, and the cluster of historical characters come to us complicated and whole, demanding our attention." -- Robert Stewart, editor of New Letters

From the Back Cover

"There may be married people who do not read the morning paper. Smith and I know them not ... It is not too much to say the newspapers are one of our strongest points of sympathy; that it is our meat and drink to praise and abuse them together; that we often in our imagination edit a model newspaper, which shall have for its motto, `Speak the truth, and shame the devil.'" -- Fanny Fern

Shame the Devil tells the remarkable and true story of Fanny Fern (the pen name of Sara Payson Willis), one of the most successful, influential, and popular writers of the nineteenth century. A novelist, journalist, and feminist, Fern (1811-1872) outsold Harriet Beecher Stowe, won the respect of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and served as literary mentor to Walt Whitman. Scrabbling in the depths of poverty before her meteoric rise to fame and fortune, she was widowed, escaped an abusive second marriage, penned one of the country's first prenuptial agreements, married a man eleven years her junior, and served as a nineteenth-century Oprah to her hundreds of thousands of fans. Her weekly editorials in the pages of the New York Ledger over a period of about twenty years chronicled the myriad controversies of her era and demonstrated her firm belief in the motto, "Speak the truth, and shame the devil." Through the story of Fern and her contemporaries, including Walt Whitman, Catharine Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Jacobs, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, Shame the Devil brings the intellectual and social ferment of mid-nineteenth-century America to life.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 353 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press (July 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1438435878
• ISBN-13: 978-1438435879
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,008,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Debra Brenegan grew up in the Milwaukee area and graduated with a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing from The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She teaches English and Women's Studies at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Her work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Calyx, Tampa Review, Natural Bridge, The Laurel Review, RE:AL, The Southern Women's Review, The Cimarron Review, Milwaukee Magazine, Phoebe, and other publications. Debra Brenegan's novel, Shame the Devil, is a historical account of nineteenth-century American writer Fanny Fern (SUNY Press, Excelsior Editions). She is currently working on another novel, set in Missouri, and on a short story collection.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Two amazing women August 8, 2011

By Lovin' Books

Format:Hardcover

Shame the Devil is literary historical fiction written by an amazing writer about an amazing writer. Fanny Fern lived in the 19th century and counted such influential people as Walt Whitman, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Nathaniel Hawthorne as her friends and writing peers (though she was actually a mentor to Whitman). Unfortunately, Fern does not share the postmortem fame of her friends, even though she was the Anna Quindlan - even the Oprah - of her time. Debra Brenegan does a remarkable job of portraying the struggles that Fern - a woman too free-spirited and independent for her time - endured. Brenegan has done a service to contemporary readers by bringing Fern's story to light, and with writing that is nothing less than exquisite.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Shame the Devil by Debra Brenegan June 22, 2011

By Frogger

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This historical fiction novel is a must read for book clubs. It offers plenty of opportunity for discussions regarding the role women played in the mid 1800's. Fanny Fern was a famous newspaper columnist and author. She was the Oprah of the period. She was an independent woman who was married 3 times; first for love, second for convenience (a very abusive marriage from which she left and obtained a scandelous divorce and the third time for love (she crafted the first pre-nuptial agreement). She was an amazing role model for modern feminists. A great read!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Shame the Devil, but Don't Forget Fanny Fern July 22, 2011

By Matthew B. Murrie

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Written in a free and easy style, Shame the Devil makes you forget that, in addition to a scandalously intriguing story, you're also getting an important history lesson about one of the most fascinating women in U.S. history. Perhaps the greatest shame was saved, not for the devil, rather for letting Fanny Fern go forgotten for so long. But Brenegan brings her back for future generations to enjoy, admire, and never forget. Shame the Devil fearlessly "speaks the truth" about a woman as responsible for the fabric of the American life we all enjoy today as anyone else from her time. Highly recommended.