A Girl of the Limberlost
Clifford the Big Red Dog

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Ben-Hur surpassed the fabulously popular Uncle Tom in the 19th century and was beloved for its attempt to faithfully represent the life and times of Jesus, and the person of Jesus himself. This is ironic, given that when Wallace began writing the book, he was not very religious. However, his extensive research into the Holy Land and the Bible brought him to the conviction that while his own book was a work of fiction, the Good Book was not. 20th century readers will recognize Ben Hur more from the 1950’s movie, and might not even be aware that it had first been a book. Typically, the movie isn’t as good as the book, but the movie is also an American classic. Nonetheless, the book’s attention to historical detail and its glimpse into America at a particular point in time gives modern readers deeper insight into both Christianity and the United States in the 19th century. This edition is unabridged and faithfully reflects the version as originally published in 1880.

More Adult, Non-Juvenile Books

  • 1915: Manhattan’s Book Row, an eclectic jumble of forty bookshops along Fourth Avenue, is the mecca for rare book buyers from around the world, and the haunt of locals looking for a bargain. It is also the target of the most vicious censor in American history—Anthony Comstock. And home to three sisters who vow to stop him.

  • In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, Jack and Mabel build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone -- but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

  • Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 1906) overcame racism and poverty to become one of the best-known authors in America, and the first African American to earn a living from his poetry, fiction, drama, journalism, and lectures.