Tragic Ground

New York: Duell Sloane and Pearce, 1944. First Edition. Wartime Book (World War II era) printed under restrictive paper usage conditions. A hallmark of wartime books is their thinner pages. 8vo size hardcover with dust jacket; 237 toned, deckle edged pages. From jacket: "(This book) is set in the little Southern community of Poor Boy, forlorn off-shoot of a war-boom town from which the boom has receded. Lingering on, without so much as the bus fare to take them back where they come from is the family of Spence Douthit. Spence is no rebel; he longs to get back to Beasely Country, to keep his 13-year-old daughter off the streets, to find somehow, somewhere, a home where they can all be together, but these longings can now be quieted with pitiful ease. A crap game at Bill Tarrant's Private Club; a riotous and eye-opening night with the girls at The White Turkey - and Spence, the dollars evaporated, returns to the mild bewilderment of his helplessness, to the spirited rows over the back fence with Chet Mitchell and the latest scheme for marrying the erring Mavis to a rich man." Erskine Caldwell (1903 - 1987) was an American author known for his writings about the southern United States. Caldwell is best known for his novels Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre. While Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre brought Caldwell critical acclaim, he also experienced having his works, such as Bastard, his first publication, and God's Little Acre, banned. He was even arrested in 1933 in New York while attending a book signing for God's Little Acre, and was later exonerated in court. Caldwell had a prolific career as an author, writing 25 novels, more than 100 short stories, two autobiographies as well as non-fiction and children's work. He collaborated with photographer Margaret Bourke-White (then his wife) on three photo essays. Caldwell's birthplace was moved to Moreland, Georgia, where it is now the The Ernest Caldwell Birthplace and Museum. Jacket has edgewear and some minor chipping notably around top. Pencil mark inside front jacket flap, erasure on fep; bumped corners under jacket. One page was not trimmed properly during the production process and overhangs on the bottom. We have another Erskine Calwell first edition available. Quotes are for illustrative purposes and remain the property of their copyright holders. Thanks for shopping with us! 100% of your purchase benefits charity and supports literacy and lifelong learning.. First. Cloth. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.