Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman
New England writer Mary E. Wilkins Freeman had a particular talent for capturing the rhythms of domestic life in her native region's small towns and villages, as well as illuminating the small domestic dramas and conflicts experienced by her characters. Those strengths are displayed prominently in the novel By the Light of the Soul, which follows young Maria Edgham as she grapples with grief and dashed expectations.
One of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's most popular short stories, "Evelina's Garden" tells the tale of two cousins—one an elderly recluse, and one a beautiful young woman—who are drawn together by a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind garden. Young Evelina is prepared to devote her life to caring for the extraordinary oasis, but when romance intervenes, everything begins to fall apart.
American author Mary E. Wilkins Freeman set most of her works of fiction in small New England communities, so this dramatization of one of the chief figures involved in the Salem Witch Trials is a natural fit for her unique strengths as a writer. Freeman's first foray into drama was well received by the critics, and a stage production of the play enjoyed a successful run.
