Eugene Norton by Anne Shannon Monroe 1900 First Edition ~ Association Copy

Association copy. First Edition (no other printings indicated). Blue cloth boards with white lettering and red ruling. Little bit of wear to the head and foot of spine; corners bumped and a bit worn; spine rubbed. 291 pp. 7.75" x 5.5".

This copy of Anne's first novel appears to have possibly been her own. Her name is written next to an address on the front free endpaper (though not written in her hand). The address ''207 14th Street'' is the Portland address at which her sister Elizabeth lived, according to 1907 and 1908 city directories. It is possible that the two lived together for a short period (Anne moved a couple times during this period). Also found on the page is the rubber stamp for the Monroe Advertising Co., the company Anne founded and operated in Portland between 1907 and 1911. [For reference, the address number of 207 14th Street was known as Maxwell Hall. In 1931, it was re-numbered by the city as 919 SW 14th Ave. The building still stands and is still known as the Maxwell Hall Apartments.]

Eugene Norton tells the story of Catherine Musgrave, a young woman studying music at a conservatory in Berlin, who is suddenly called back to America. The story tells of an unhappy marriage, moving to the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest, her emotional struggles, but also of her compatriot Dr. Eugene Norton and her relationship with him.

Anne Shannon Monroe (1873-1942) was an American writer and novelist. Though born in Missouri, she resided in Washington state throughout her youth and early adulthood. After living for a few years in Chicago, she returned to the Pacific Northwest and Oregon in 1907. In addition to writing several novels she was also a contributor to several magazines including the Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, and the Ladies' Home Journal.