Castle Nowhere

The vast and windswept Great Lakes region is the setting for Castle Nowhere, Constance Fenimore Woolson's collection of moody tales. While the stories in Castle Nowhere display a deep concern with the "civilizing" effects of people upon nature, they dwell just as frequently on the equally chilling de-civilizing effect of nature upon people. Like few others before her, Woolson could evoke great beauty while, as Margot Livesey writes, "always remaining keenly aware that beauty in no way mitigates hardship." Her characters are often outcasts, as befits the northern Michigan frontier where most of the stories take place. The stories in the collection are not merely accomplished, nor are they mere historical curiosities. Contemporary readers will find a surprisingly modern atmosphere in Woolson's stories, and know that they have discovered both a lost master-piece and a rare woman's voice in literature of its period and setting. Book jacket.

Constance Fenimore Woolson (1840-94) was born in New Hampshire and moved to Cleveland shortly thereafter. She spent time on Mackinac Island, Michigan, then traveled to Florida before moving to Europe. Much of her time there was spent in Italy. She was the author of four novels--Anne, East Angels, Jupiter Lights, and Horace Chase--as well as poetry, travel writing, and several collections of short stories. She died in Venice in 1894