Daisy Ashford: Her Book

About this book

This volume gathers the remaining short fiction of Daisy Ashford, the child author whose early work “The Young Visiters” caused a sensation, together with a story by her sister Angela. The collection is presented exactly as it appeared in the original manuscripts: each title occupies its own page, spelling and punctuation are left untouched, and only obvious printer’s errors have been corrected. The opening pages explain that the editor has retained the child’s idiosyncratic spelling, missing quotation marks, and occasional asterisks marking omitted letters, preserving the authentic feel of a young hand at work. The front matter includes a preface by Irvin S. Cobb, who recounts how he first read the manuscript in America and championed its publication, while the contents range from an eight‑year‑old’s “A Short Story of Love and Marriage” to the more ambitious “The Hangman’s Daughter,” written when Daisy was about thirteen. The book also contains Angela Ashford’s eight‑year‑old tale “The Jealous Governes,” offering a glimpse of the creative atmosphere of the Ashford household.

The voice throughout is unmistakably that of a pre‑teen writer, marked by earnestness, naïve logic, and a delight in melodrama. The prose reflects early twentieth‑century diction, yet the narrative’s simplicity and occasional accidental humor give it a charm that feels both historic and fresh. Readers who enjoy seeing the development of a literary talent from childhood, or who appreciate the quirky authenticity of unedited juvenile writing, will find this collection rewarding. It also appeals to those interested in Victorian‑era domestic fiction, as the stories touch on love, marriage, and moral lessons filtered through a child’s perspective, offering a rare window into the imagination of a young author whose work once sparked debate over its true origins.