{"product_id":"chita-a-memory-of-last-island-paperback","title":"Chita: A Memory of Last Island - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLafcadio Hearn\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eDelia Labarre\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor), \u003cb\u003eJefferson Humphries\u003c\/b\u003e (Introduction by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On August 10, 1856, the Gulf of Mexico reared up and hurled itself over Last Island, near New Orleans. The storm essentially split the island in half and swept much of it away, including its inhabitants, wealthy vacationers, and its resort hotel. There were few survivors.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Lafcadio Hearn used these basic historical facts to create \u003cem\u003eChita\u003c\/em\u003e. Originally published in 1889, this novella is a minor masterpiece that is by turns mysterious, mesmerizing, and tragic. In the aftermath of the storm, a Spanish fisherman wades into the Gulf to pick through debris. Among the bodies, he finds one that is yet alive, a young Creole girl. Her parents are presumed to have died in the storm.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Raised by the fisherman's family, Chita grows into a strong, independent young woman. Her story is counterpointed by that of her lost father, a doctor who thinks that his daughter is dead and, as a result, devotes himself to helping others in need. When he comes to Last Island to help stem a yellow fever epidemic, he encounters Chita. The consequences are devastating.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e This beautifully lush, ornately styled tale of south Louisiana in the nineteenth century is a haunting novel that is both impressionistic in its evocation of nature and realistic in its characterizations and depictions of life in this region.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Jefferson Humphries's introduction puts \u003cem\u003eChita\u003c\/em\u003e in perspective, gives an overview of critical reactions to the novel from its initial publication to the present, and provides a capsule biography of Hearn and a commentary on the stylistic influences on his work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLafcadio Hearn\u003c\/b\u003e (1850-1904) was a writer, critic, amateur engraver, and journalist. He wrote extensively about the cultures of Louisiana and is considered the first major Western chronicler of Japanese culture. His many books include \u003ci\u003eLa Cuisine Creole: A Collection of Culinary Recipes\u003c\/i\u003e (1885), \u003ci\u003eGombo Zhebes\u003c\/i\u003e (1885), \u003ci\u003eChita\u003c\/i\u003e (1889), and \u003ci\u003eGlimpses of Unfamiliar Japan\u003c\/i\u003e (1894). \u003cb\u003eDelia LaBarre\u003c\/b\u003e is an independent scholar of Lafcadio Hearn and Louisiana culture. \u003cb\u003eJefferson Humphries\u003c\/b\u003e (1955-2014) was chair of French studies at Louisiana State University and is author of \u003ci\u003eThe Puritan and the Cynic: The Literary Moralist in America and France \u003c\/i\u003eand editor of \u003ci\u003eConversations with Reynolds Price\u003c\/i\u003e, the latter published by University Press of Mississippi.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 138\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.33 x 8 x 5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 01, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52534776070451,"sku":"9781496818386","price":52.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/TzFwaUpReEp1QkYrSUJvN3dMemtCdz09.webp?v=1760759831","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/chita-a-memory-of-last-island-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}