Story of A The Alphabetization of America from the New England Primer to the Scarlet Letter

"Imaginatively conceived, elegantly written, The Story of A is one of the most original works I have read in recent years. Through her insightful, witty account of alphabetization in America, Crain detects shifting views of childhood, women, the family, and the relations between the individual and society, thus illuminating central questions in social and cultural history. The Story of A will make Patricia Crain's name in literary studies and American studies."Robert Gross, College of William and Mary "The alphabet is so foundational to the act of reading that scholars have tended to take it for granted. Crain's book is one of those rare and spectacular scholarly works that actually creates an object of inquiry and a new way of reading where previous scholarship has presumed there was nothing to see."Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Amherst CollegeCrain, Patricia is the author of 'Story of A The Alphabetization of America from the New England Primer to the Scarlet Letter', published 2000 under ISBN 9780804731751 and ISBN 0804731756.