Harriet Wilson Memorial

Harriet Wilson Memorial, originally uploaded by Dave Delay.

Statue of Harriet E. Wilson -- the first female African-American novelist. Milford, NH.

---

"Oh, holy Father, by thy power,
Thus far in life I'm brought;
And now in this dark, trying hour,
O God, forsake me not"

Harriet E. Wilson

In 1859, Harriet Wilson, a mulatto woman from New Hampshire published a novel with the stated hope of earning sufficient money simply to survive. Instead, her novel Our Nig; or Sketches From the Life of A Free Black, became a powerful and controversial narrative that continues to touch and unsettle readers around the world.

More...