The Reclaimers

Margaret Hill McCarterProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 463K words
Chapters: 47

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Reclaimers by Margaret Hill McCarterAuthor: McCarter, Margaret Hill, 1860-1938,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Sep 30, 2010

Editor's review

The Reclaimers is a work by the American author Margaret Hill McCarter, available as a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg and classified under American and Canadian literature. Judging by the author's usual bent, such novels draw on the homesteading life and rural society of the American Midwest, focusing on the relationship between land, community, and people. The title points to the sense of "reclaim," which may be understood as the reclaiming of land, of life, or of the human heart. Its value for readers lies in the picture it offers of early twentieth-century American regional narrative: characterization leans toward qualities and morals, the plot turns on settlement, holding fast, and community rebuilding, and the language is plain. For readers studying American regional literature or interested in homesteading themes, this is a freely available primary text. It is best read within the context of American regional literature, with attention to how the author handles the relationship between people and nature and between the individual and the community, rather than judged by the pacing standards of modern fiction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in homesteading and rural themes of the American Midwest
Researchers and students of early twentieth-century American regional literature
Readers who enjoy plain moral narrative and community portraits
English-language readers seeking free American public-domain novels

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting urban themes or complex psychological suspense
Modern readers uncomfortable with a slow pace and didactic tone
Advanced researchers requiring an authoritative annotated edition and author chronology

Reading tips

Begin by learning about the author and the Midwest homesteading background; this makes the themes easier to grasp.
Read by episode, noting how land and community drive the characters' choices.
Read alongside contemporaneous American regional novels to compare commonalities and differences in regional writing.
After reading, map the main characters and community relationships to understand the sense of "reclaim" in the title.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is this book about?

According to the available information, McCarter often wrote about homesteading and rural life in the American Midwest, and this book falls under American literature. Expect a narrative centering on land, community, and people holding fast; for the specific plot, consult the eBook text itself, beginning with the contents and opening pages.

Is the English difficult? Is it good for reading practice?

It is an early twentieth-century American novel; the language is generally plain but includes period expressions and dialect coloring. Readers with college-level English should find it accessible; for practice, read a fixed chapter each day and note new words without looking up every one.

Does the public-domain eBook include notes?

Project Gutenberg editions prioritize complete content and free access and usually do not include detailed scholarly notes; formatting varies by file. For background, consult sources on the author and Midwestern homesteading history as you read.

Comments

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About the author

Margaret Hill McCarter Author · American · 1860–1938

Margaret Hill McCarter (1860–1938) was an American teacher and novelist. Born in Carthage, Indiana, in 1860 and died in Topeka, Kansas, in 1938, she lived and wrote in Topeka for many years. She is known for novels depicting the history of the Kansas prairie, including The Price of the Prairie, Vanguards of the Plains, and The Reclaimers, as well as A Master's Degree and Winning the Wilderness. Five of her works are held in this collection, commonly categorized under inspirational growth. Her fiction often draws on Kansas pioneer days and the old Santa Fe Trail, unfolding her characters' growth and struggles against a historical backdrop. In 1920 she became the first woman to address a Republican National Convention. Public information on her early education and specific experiences is limited.