We Are the Living

New York: Viking Press, 1933. First Printing. Hardcover. Fine/Fine-. First Trade Edition (following a limited edition of 250 copies) of Caldwell's second collection of stories. 8vo: viii,264pp. Publisher's ivory cloth, spine and upper cover stamped in brown and forest green, top edge stained brown; illustrated dust jacket, by Alfred Maurer, priced $2.50; original wraparound promotional band with several closed tears. An excellent copy, top stain slightly faded, mild sunning to upper board top edge, else Fine, square and tight, and probably unread; Near Fine or better jacket, lightly edge-worn, spine and flap folds moderately sunned, as is promotional band. Coan, p. 43. Flora and Bain, p. 94. In the wake of Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre, as Caldwell's popularity grew, he became more successful at selling short fiction to popular magazines of the day. Capitalizing on that popularity, Viking collected in this volume twenty short stories, ranging in setting from North to South and "mostly concerned with the sexual impulses of the characters." (Coan) It was published to "overwhelmingly positive reviews" (Literary Encyclopedia), and according to Flora and Bain, "Although all of his [Caldwell's] story collections contain interesting pieces, nowhere does he surpass the achievement of . . . We Are the Living . . . " (Flora and Bain) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.