A Letter From Philadelphia Preview
Read a preview from A Letter From Philadelphia, the first book in The Prescott Girls series.
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The Prescott Girls
Book One: A Letter from Philadelphia
Preview Contents
- Cover
- Copyright and publication information
- Dedication
- Map of Maine, 1833
- Foreword
- Chapter One: Sandy River
- Chapter Two: Leaving New Sharon
- Beckie's Sampler Today
- Historical Notes
- Sources & Acknowledgments
- Character Studies
- Colophon
Foreword
This story is drawn from the lives of three real sisters, Beckie, Louisa, and Sallie Prescott, who lived at the Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, Maine during the 1830s. Though the story is a work of fiction, it is rooted in real people, places, artifacts, and documented events.
Chapter One: Sandy River
Beckie Prescott says goodbye to her friend Hannah beside the Sandy River. The Prescott family has been ordered to leave their home in New Sharon following the death of Warren Prescott and the settlement of his debts. As the girls prepare to move to Dresden, they struggle with the uncertainty of leaving behind everything they have known.
Chapter Two: Leaving New Sharon
The Prescott family departs New Sharon by wagon for the Pownalborough Court House. Friends and neighbors gather to say farewell. Hannah gives Beckie flower seeds for her new home, and the sisters begin the journey that will shape the rest of their lives.
Beckie's Sampler Today
Beckie's 1835 sampler survives today and is preserved at the Pownalborough Court House Museum in Dresden, Maine.
Historical Notes
The Prescott sisters were real historical figures. Many details in the story are based on documented family records, surviving samplers, court records, and the history of the Pownalborough Court House. The historical notes discuss the Prescott family, Warren Prescott's death, the abolition movement, Quaker influences, and Louisa's later marriage to William Jackson Canby, grandson of Betsy Ross.
Sources & Acknowledgments
Illustrations and historical details draw upon collections and research from institutions including the University of Rhode Island Historic Textile & Costume Collection, the Maine Historical Society, and the Pownalborough Court House Museum.
Character Studies
Character studies prepared during development helped maintain historical accuracy in clothing, appearance, and continuity throughout the illustrations.
Colophon
Produced by A Well-Regulated Press.
Set in Libre Caslon.
Printed in the United States.