The Cromptons

"The Cromptons" by Mary Jane Holmes is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers around themes of social class, race, and the complexities of human relationships, particularly focusing on a stranger from the North who arrives in the South and his interactions with Eudora, a young woman living in a palmetto clearing, and her family, which includes the free black man Jake and Mandy Ann, a slave girl. The opening of the book introduces the arrival of a stranger aboard the steamer "Hatty," who is connecting with a friend, Tom Hardy. As the stranger interacts with other passengers, his aloof character sets him apart, particularly in the context of the Southern society he has entered. His curiosity about a slave girl named Mandy Ann connects him to the main community. Meanwhile, Mandy Ann's quick escape from the stranger hints at the complexities of her circumstances and prejudices that exist regarding his background. The stranger’s unresolved emotions lead him to seek out the palmetto clearing, where Eudora lives. This initial setup hints at a deeper narrative involving personal longing and social tension within the backdrop of Southern life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Mary Jane Holmes was an American author who published 39 novels, as well as short stories. Her first novel sold 250,000 copies; and she had total sales of 2 million books in her lifetime, second only to Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her books included: "Tempest and Sunshine" (1854), "English Orphans" (1855), "Homestead on the Hillside" (1855), "Lena Rivers" (1856), "Meadow Brook" (1857), "Dora Deane" (1858), "Cousin Maude" (1860), "Marian Gray" 186^, "Hugh Worthington" (1864), "Cameron Vide" (1867). "Rose Mather" (1868), "Ethelyn’s Mistake" (1869), "Edna Browning" (1872), "Mildred" (1877), "Forest House" (1879), "Daisy Thornton," "Queenie Hetherton" (1883), "Christmas Stories" (1884), "Bessie's Fortune" (1885). "Gretchen" (1887), "Marguerite" (1891).