Hannah More: The Artist as Reformer

by Mary Anne Phemister

Overview

Hannah More (1745-1833), a woman of incredible moral courage, was probably the most influential female writer of her time. Yet most of us have never even heard of her. Born in obscurity, Hannah died leaving nearly £30,000 to her charities-today's equivalent of nearly $2,000,000-an unequaled amount for a woman writer two hundred years ago. Her artful writings changed hearts, prevented a revolution in England, and paved the way for other Christian women writers. The one novel she penned outsold Jane Austen's in her lifetime. She challenged the moral evils of slavery and played a major role in the abolition of the slave trade. Yet, remarkably, for two centuries Hannah More was largely overlooked by historians, until in 2007 Great Britain recognized her significant humanitarian achievements as an abolitionist, educator, and philanthropist, issuing a postage stamp in her honor for the 200th anniversary of the milestone Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. The same year, her character appeared in the popular film about abolitionist William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace. Now author Mary Anne Phemister revives the compelling story of this inspirational heroine. Her thoroughly researched and highly readable biography recounts the story of what this lively Christian playwright, poet, novelist, and tract writer accomplished despite the restrictions placed on women in her day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940269313
Publisher:	Deep River Books
Publication date:	12/11/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Born in China to missionary parents, Mary Anne Phemister earned her nursing degree from Columbia University, New York. Her passion for telling people's stories led her to publish three other books: 32 Wheaton Notables: Their Stories and Where they Lived; Lessons from a Broken Chopstick: A Memoir; and co-author Mere Christians: Inspiring Stories of Encounters with C. S. Lewis. She travels widely to speak and to research her subjects. Mary Anne and her husband, Bill, live in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Foreword Martin Marty 13

Prologue: Hannah More Is Rediscovered 17

Chapter 1 Fishponds and Beyond 21

Chapter 2 The Failed Marriage Proposal 27

Chapter 3 Hannah's First Plays and Early Friendship with the Great David Garrick 31

Chapter 4 The Bluestocking Literary Society 41

Chapter 5 Important Callers at Cowslip Green 49

Chapter 6 The Challenge of Cheddar and the Mendip Hills: A Mission Destined for Conflict 61

Chapter 7 Forever Linked with William Wilberforce and the Abolitionist Movement 71

Chapter 8 When Helping Others Turns Out Badly: The Blagdon Controversy 81

Chapter 9 The Magnet of Barley Wood 87

Chapter 10 How Words Prevented a Revolution 95

Chapter 11 Cælebs, Jane Austen, and Hannah More 105

Chapter 12 Teaching a Nation How to Behave: Hannah Mores Didactic Writings 115

Chapter 13 The Tumultuous Final Years 125

Chapter 14 Hannah More's Legacy and the New Women's Movement 135

Hannah More Chronology 143

Works Hannah More 149

Acknowledgments 151

Works Cited and Consulted 153

Index 163

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This sprightly, accessible biography rescues Hannah More from undeserved neglect. In it, Mary Anne Phemister shows clearly why More's remarkable life—as dramatist, educator, best-selling author, anti-slave campaigner, and deeply Christian witness—can inspire believers today almost as much as she did during her own lifetime."

-Mark Noll, The Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, author of The Rise of Evangelicalism: The Age of Edwards, Whitefield, and the Wesleys

"This lively and engaging work shows Hannah More's continuing relevance to the modern world."

-Anne Stott, author of Hannah More: The First Victorian

"Mary Anne Phemister provides an engaging look at a neglected woman writer who certainly deserves more of our attention today. By combining discussions of Hannah More's influence and stories of her life with visual images of the places lived and visited, Phemister gives her readers a glimpse into the world that Hannah More inhabited and tried to transform for the better."

-Christine A. Colón, associate professor of English, Wheaton College; author of Joanna Baillie and the Art of Moral Influence