Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1934. First edition of the author's first book. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles to the spine, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, raised bands, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In near fine condition, name to the title page. With an introduction by Fanny Hurst. Rare and desirable. Praised by Carl Sandburg as "a bold and beautiful book, many a page priceless and unforgettable." Written in only three to four months in 1934, Jonah's Gourd Vine is the first novel published by acclaimed anthropologist, writer, and Harlem Renaissance personality Zora Neale Hurston. The book, based loosely on her parents' lives, explores the life and consciousness of John Pearson and his relationship with his wife Lucy Potts and other women in the town. Pearson was depicted as a minister in a small black Florida town, Eatonville, which in reality was Hurston's hometown. In Hurston's work one hears and feels the authentic voice, power, and sensibilities of people and places. In this novel, she used events from her childhood and the sermons she heard as a preacher's daughter to give structure and texture to this novel.

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Bookseller: Raptis Rare Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 141711
Title: Jonah’s Gourd Vine.
Author: Neale Hurston, Zora
Book Condition: Used
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: J.B. Lippincott Company
Place of Publication: Philadelphia
Date Published: 1934

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About Raptis Rare Books

Founded by Matthew and Adrienne Raptis, Raptis Rare Books is an antiquarian book firm that specializes in literature, children's books, economics, photo books, signed and inscribed books, and landmark books in all fields. Our business model is simple: we strive to handle books that are in exceptional condition and to provide exceptional customer service.

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Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Morocco: Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
Spine: The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
First Edition: In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Raised Band(s): Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
Octavo: Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
Title Page: A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
Gilt: The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
Fine: A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Edges: The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...