Author: Joseph W. Foster

1Little Tales of the Desert

By Ethel Twycross Foster

A six year-old girl named Mary spends Christmas vacation with her parents in the Arizona desert of 1901 or thereabouts. ( Summary by BellonaTimes )

2Coquette, Or The History of Eliza Wharton

By Hannah Webster Foster

The classic early American epistolary novel about the seduction and ruin of a passionate young woman. Based on the true story of Elizabeth Whitman, whose lonesome death in childbirth in a Connecticut inn sparked widespread discussion and outrage, the novel went through many editions and innumerable printings in the century after its initial publication in 1797. (Summary by Jon Miller)

Pleasant family drama set in early 1900's or late 1890's upstate New York. The Herron clan, led by heroic, inventive, handicapped older brother Billy, has fallen on hard times due to one of the depressions that occurred before the Great one of the 30's. He manages to charm their way out of the tenements and into the country where he and his younger siblings farm their way to success, albeit on a small, Waltons-esque scale. Features many detailed gardening tips. Minor quibble with a sub-plot involving borderline incest but all in all, an inspirational work for the get-er-dun generation. - Summary by BellonaTimes

4War Stories for My Grandchildren

By John Watson Foster

After years of telling these stories to his grandchildren, Foster was prevailed on to write them down for future generations. Rather than rely on his memory, he conducted research for accuracy. He served as a colonel for the Union Army during the American Civil War and later went on to serve as U.S. Secretary of State under President Benjamin Harrison. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

Foster was a World War I veteran, world wanderer, journalist, embassy attaché, stoker on ships, miner, stowaway, bandit’s prisoner in Mexico, who wrote of Latin America and the Orient. He died an early death of pneumonia at his mother’s house in New York state. This 1924 book is a prime example of his witty travel writing and close observation. The New York Times reported that in 1919 he started travelling and for some ten years he seldom remained in one place. (New York Times obituary 16 March 1932) (Summary by David Wales)

6Asgard Stories: Tales from Norse Mythology

By Mabel H. Cummings and Mary H. Foster

Asgard Stories - Tales from Norse Mythology. To all our Children who have loved the hearing of these Asgard Stories. This little volume is the outcome of several years experience in telling to classes of children the classic myths, both southern and northern. <br><br> "A broad simplicity, so very different from the light gracefulness of the old Greek paganism, distinguishes this Norse system. It is thought, the genuine thought of deep, rude, earnest minds, fairly opened to the things about them, - a face-to-face and heart-to-heart inspection of things, - the first characteristic of all good thought in all times." wrote Carlyle. <br><br> Anderson, the author of “Norse Mythology,” wrote: “In the Norse mythology the centralizing idea is its peculiar feature; in it lies its strength and beauty. The one myth and the one divinity is inextricably in communion with the other; and thus also the idea of unity, centralization, is a prominent feature and one of the chief characteristics of the Teutonic nations."

7Mary's Little Lamb

By Edith Francis Foster

Learn how Mary acquires a Little Lamb, how it follows her to school, and many other adventures the pair have such as the lamb saving Mary's life. This book was written as a picture guessing book where some of the nouns were replaced by drawings and the young reader was supposed to guess what the pictures meant in the story. These pictures have been replaced by appropriate words. (Summary by mleigh)