“A lively collection that offers a fresh and varied look at the theme of poverty and benevolence in the work of 19th-century American women writers, uncovering texts that have, for the most part, received little critical attention in this context. Our Sisters’ Keepers contributes significantly to our understanding of how American women redefined the concept of American identity through the genre of ‘benevolence’ or reform literature.”
—Leah Blatt Glasser, author of In a Closet Hidden: The Life and Work of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
“In their well-conceived and fascinating new collection, Jill Bergman and Debra Bernardi break new ground in philanthropic and literary studies by putting together the first book-length examination of benevolence literature by American women.”
—Gregory Eiselein, Professor of English and Coffman University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Kansas State University, in Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers
