STRAHAN, Kay Cleaver. Oh Happy Youth. London: Jarrold’s. n.d. [1931]. 8vo. First British edition. Publisher’s pale grey cloth lettered in black to the spine, in the sumptuous dust jacket that goes uncredited. A very good copy, the cloth clean and bright, the binding tight and just very slightly rolled. A few light marks to the textblock but largely fine without stamps, inscriptions, and very little foxing. The dust jacket price-clipped, slightly nicked around spine tips and corners with several adhesive tape repairs at verso, the front panel slightly creased vertically, with other creases and light rubbing, though not especially detracting from the glorious period front panel. Publisher’s lengthy ads to rear dated Autumn 1931.
The Hubin-listed American author’s fifth novel, and a brief departure from the lauded detective mystery novel from which she had become ‘a recognised leader’ in the genre, with The Desert Moon Mystery (1928) and Footprints (1929) retaining relevance and readership today. This novel ‘a charming and shrewd romance of middle class life’ set as with most of her novels in Oregon, where she had settled. It involves three sisters and their patriarchal grandfather who disapproves of working women. Strahan’s earlier success in building a career as a writer might support some semi-autobiographical significance here. Scarce. OCLC locates just one copy of this first British edition, in the BL.
STRAHAN, Kay Cleaver. Oh Happy Youth. London: Jarrold’s. n.d. [1931]. 8vo. First British edition. Publisher’s pale grey cloth lettered in black to the spine, in the sumptuous dust jacket that goes uncredited. A very good copy, the cloth clean and bright, the binding tight and just very slightly rolled. A few light marks to the textblock but largely fine without stamps, inscriptions, and very little foxing. The dust jacket price-clipped, slightly nicked around spine tips and corners with several adhesive tape repairs at verso, the front panel slightly creased vertically, with other creases and light rubbing, though not especially detracting from the glorious period front panel. Publisher’s lengthy ads to rear dated Autumn 1931.
The Hubin-listed American author’s fifth novel, and a brief departure from the lauded detective mystery novel from which she had become ‘a recognised leader’ in the genre, with The Desert Moon Mystery (1928) and Footprints (1929) retaining relevance and readership today. This novel ‘a charming and shrewd romance of middle class life’ set as with most of her novels in Oregon, where she had settled. It involves three sisters and their patriarchal grandfather who disapproves of working women. Strahan’s earlier success in building a career as a writer might support some semi-autobiographical significance here. Scarce. OCLC locates just one copy of this first British edition, in the BL.
