The Wildfords In India

I paid $32 at a local bookstore for a book in hardcover, which is titled "The Wildfords in India". The first page mentions that the book is published "By the author of 'Poke and her sisters', 'Michael Graham', etc." I have not researched the actual publish date, but in all likeliness this particular edition was published in the late 19th century. An inscription on the second page says - "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872..". In addition, on the backpage, I found a handwritten note in what looks like writing in a Lucida Console font! The note is dated 'Aug 27th, 1884 Thursday'. This book's author has preferred to remain anonymous.

Why did I buy this book? The writer of the book traveled to India sometime in the late 19th century. Now I know that this was not that far back in history, but neverthless the book paints a poignant picture of what an American lady working with a church saw in the East of the 19th century. And that is a very interesting perspective for someone like me who has travelled the other way in the 21st century. This mingling of people, across continental boundaries and cultures, and their subsequent surprise and delight at what they see on the other side, would forever remain a very interesting topic of discussion - both in writing and in conversations.