Downloads and Free Reading Options

1American Politician

By Francis Marion Crawford

In 1880’s Boston, Mass. the good life is lead according to all the Victorian era societal rules of the New World. Political ambitions and the business of making money go hand in hand. A Senate seat suddenly opens up due to the current junior senator’s unexpected death, and the political machinations to fill the seat begin. Senatorial candidate John Harrington is a young idealist who thinks that fighting for truth and justice, regardless of political affiliation, is the way. But he is told he can’t possibly win because he isn’t partisan enough. His opponents in the iron mine, railroad and shipping business sabotage his first bid for office, because he wants to do away with protectionism in trade to open up global competition. He eventually succeeds in winning a Senate seat. He gives a rousing speech to Congress as they gather to elect a President in a race which has ended in a three way tie. His message is that blindly following a party’s positions and principles is not being free and independent, and will not always lead to the best person being elected, or to the best decisions being made for the country as a whole. (Summary written by Maire Rhode)

LibriVox volunteers bring you 9 different recordings of <em>A Perfect Strain</em> by Isabella Valancy Crawford, published in "The Collected Poems of Isabella Valancy Crawford" in 1905. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of July 27th, 2008.

3Man Overboard

By Francis Marion Crawford

Peculiar happenings aboard the schooner Helen B. Jackson when one night during a storm, the small crew found themselves diminished by one. Somebody had gone overboard, and it was surmised that it was one of the twin Benton brothers. But oddly enough, it seemed that the 'presence' of the missing twin continued to exist on board during the following weeks. For example, one extra set of silverware was found to be used after each meal, but nobody claimed to be using them. What then did happen that stormy night, and which brother, if indeed it was one of the brothers, was the man who went overboard? (Summary by Roger Melin)

4Katharine Lauderdale Volume 1

By Francis Marion Crawford

Katharine Lauderdale would be a New York society belle, if it were not for her miserly father. Her older sister has escaped the unhappy parental home by marrying and Katherine plans to do the same, but her father has already refused to sanction her nuptials with her cousin and childhood sweetheart, Jack Ralston. Desperate measures are needed and what role will rich Uncle Robert play in the future of the young people? ( Lynne Thompson)

5Katharine Lauderdale Volume 2

By Francis Marion Crawford

Katherine Lauderdale would be a New York society belle, if it were not for her miserly father. Her older sister has escaped the unhappy parental home by marrying and Katherine plans to do the same, but her father has already refused to sanction her nuptials with her cousin and childhood sweetheart, Jack Ralston. How will the young couple's defiance of family and society affect their future life together? Will they even be able to have a future together? - Summary by Lynne Thompson

6Ralstons

By Francis Marion Crawford

Katharine has married Jack Ralston secretly and hoped to force her rich uncle's hand in assisting him to find a career. After his refusal, she couldn't face her new husband to break the news and a series of mishaps led everyone - Katharine included - to believe Jack had fallen victim to the demon he had been fighting: drink. Realizing that she need not acknowledge the marriage, yet unable to continue on as a single woman, she attends a dinner with some misgivings, knowing she will be seated by him. Meanwhile, he is confused by her cold treatment of him, assuming she had received the letter he sent her. All is explained at the dinner - but what will they do now? Continue as if nothing had happened? Or has the misunderstanding caused too great a rift? Will Jack 'buckle down' and take the boring office job he has already rejected, in order to be able to claim his wife and support her? Does the west hold the promise of a new beginning? Or will they swallow their pride and accept the very generous gift from Uncle Robert, which they have already rejected in order to make their own way? And how does Frank Miner's news that Uncle Robert intended to buy the newspaper affect things? In this sequel to Katharine Lauderdale, we follow the newly married couple as they navigate the treacherous waters of married bliss. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

7Wandering Ghosts

By Francis Marion Crawford

This is a collection of seven ghost stories by Francis Marion Crawford. The volume includes all of the essential ingredients for good ghost and horror stories, such as mysterious deaths, haunted houses, and even vampires. - Summary by Carolin

8Witch of Prague: A Fantastic Tale

By Francis Marion Crawford

The Wanderer is looking far and wide for the love of his life, Beatrice. Try as he may, he cannot find her again. Appealing to a witch might help, but instead of using her powers to help the lovers find one another again, Unorna keeps them apart as much as possible. Will there be a happy end? - Summary by Carolin

9Khaled, A Tale of Arabia

By Francis Marion Crawford

Khaled is a powerful jinn, or genius, but he has a good heart. When he sees that Zehowah, the beautiful, virtuous daughter of the king is about to accept a foreign prince as husband, who lied about converting to Islam, he takes the law into his own hands and kills the prince. When the pair is confronted by an Angel, Khaled begs to be made into a mortal man. His wish is granted, under one condition: Khaled must win the love of Zehowah... - Summary by Carolin

10Marietta: A Maid of Venice

By Francis Marion Crawford

This swash-buckling, romantic story of Zorzi Ballarin and Angelo Beroviero, master glass-blowers of Murano, Italy in the 1500's, is not entirely fiction. Many of the works of these artizans are preserved in the Museum of Murano, including their discovery of the clear glass we know as "crystal". Giovanni Beroviero, the lesser artist and jealous son, did indeed write the damning letter which brought Zorzi to trial before the Council of Ten (the original letter is still preserved). The treasured colored glass formulas of Paolo Godi are real. Arisa the Georgian slave mistress is fictional, but beautiful Eastern slaves were indeed bought and sold in Italy for many centuries. The patriarchal society that kept women walled in was real, and the myriad gondolas plying the canals, and the palaces of Venice in which much of the story takes place, are still there. Francis M. Crawford has woven a riveting tale of intrigue that never slacks off from first word to last. ( ~ Author's note and Michele Fry, Soloist)

The phrase "The Hatfields and McCoys" conjures up images of feudal warfare and Appalachian backwardness even to this day. This is a sensationalized account of the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys along the mountainous border of Kentucky and West Virginia in the late 1800s. At the height of the feud in 1888, yellow journalist T. C. Crawford interviewed Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield in person at his headquarters in West Virginia. Crawford's stories were serialized in a New York newspaper and later published in book form.<br><br>The accounts of the Hatfields and McCoys led to the still-common, unfair stereotype of the ignorant, backward, trigger-happy mountaineer. While the violence in the Wild West was romanticized, the violence in the Appalachians was vilified and exaggerated. The resulting sentiment was that the mountain folk needed civilizing, which the railroad and coal mining capitalists were eager to provide . . . in exchange for their land, autonomy, and generally happy way of life. (Summary by TriciaG)<br><br>NOTE: There are two chapters named "Chapter III" and no Chapter V in this book. The two chapter 3s have been labeled as Chapter IIIa and IIIb.

12White Sister

By Francis Marion Crawford

Angela Chiaromonte, daughter of a wealthy Italian prince, has her world turned upside down when, within a short period of time, she loses all she holds dear. This is the story of how she overcomes her loss through faith. And how she is ultimately faced with a seemingly impossible choice. (Summary by Marie Christian)

A group of artists are busy pursuing their calling in Rome when one of them decides to seek a remote villa to work alone. But when his friends visit him, why do they find only ‘a shadowy likeness’ of Marcello, and why has he taken to sleepwalking? And who is the strange woman in the grounds who only comes out after dark? - Summary by Newgatenovelist