Belle K. Abbott
Encyclopedia
Isabella "Belle" Kendrick Abbott (1842–1893) was an American
author from the Deep South
, whose only published novel, Leah Mordecai, was issued in 1875.
A native of Atlanta, Belle Kendrick married her first husband, Benjamin F. Abbott, and lived for many years on Peachtree Street
, between Cain Street (subsequently renamed International Boulevard) and Harris Street.
Leah Mordecai, published at Christmastime 1875, when she was 33, is a coming of age
story set in Charlotte, North Carolina
, during the 1850s, shortly before the Civil War
. The title character, who is Jewish, finds herself subjected to scorn and abuse by the jealous and grasping woman who marries her widowed father, a wealthy banker. Seeking relief from her unhappiness, Leah only engenders further distress when, upon entering into marriage with an importunate gentile
, she incurs the violent wrath of her father. The author, who was not Jewish, found herself unable to avoid stereotypes or convincingly portray detailed specifics as well as the mindset of contemporary Jewish life.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author from the Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
, whose only published novel, Leah Mordecai, was issued in 1875.
A native of Atlanta, Belle Kendrick married her first husband, Benjamin F. Abbott, and lived for many years on Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
, between Cain Street (subsequently renamed International Boulevard) and Harris Street.
Leah Mordecai, published at Christmastime 1875, when she was 33, is a coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story set in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, during the 1850s, shortly before the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The title character, who is Jewish, finds herself subjected to scorn and abuse by the jealous and grasping woman who marries her widowed father, a wealthy banker. Seeking relief from her unhappiness, Leah only engenders further distress when, upon entering into marriage with an importunate gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
, she incurs the violent wrath of her father. The author, who was not Jewish, found herself unable to avoid stereotypes or convincingly portray detailed specifics as well as the mindset of contemporary Jewish life.