The first American book that claimed the distinction of “international best seller” was Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811 – 1896). Not only was she the first female author to achieve this milestone, but the first author ever. Here we’ll find out how she was inspired to write her most iconic work.

After the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, no book sold faster right from the start. One and a half million copies were sold worldwide by the end of its first year in print, and in the entire nineteenth century, only the Bible sold more copies.

The book not only helped change the course of history, but changed the business of publishing as it was known. Read More→

Motherhood and writing aren’t always compatible, but more women are making it work today. In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s time, it was manifold times more difficult. 

I wish I had known about Harriet Beecher Stowe’s life of motherhood and writing when my children were growing up. Her experiences of raising a family in the mid-1800s put the usual gamut of mom-ish complaints into perspective, especially as she burned with the desire to write as a means of social protest. 

Ultimately, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the book she’s best known for, was the 19th century’s biggest international bestseller (after the Bible) and actually went a long way to changing public attitudes toward slavery. Read More→