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CHOICE Review

In this first book-length study of Chesnutt's short fiction, Wonham (Univ. of Oregon) aims both to celebrate Chesnutt's "stunning comeback" after "years of obscurity and neglect" and to "elaborate and substantiate [William Dean] Howells's high opinion of Chesnutt's achievement as a writer of short fiction, while reassessing the racially charged assumptions upon which that opinion rests." Part 1 focuses, first, on the seven "dialect stories" in the 1899 edition of The Conjure Woman, and four other dialect stories; and, second, on six of the nine "non-dialect" stories in the 1899 edition of The Wife of His Youth, and Other Stories of the Color Line (and two other such stories). Although Wonham does not indicate his principles of inclusion and exclusion, his balanced analyses and assessments demonstrate Chesnutt's mastery of the short-story form. Part 2 comprises selections of Chesnutt's nonfiction prose, including two journal entries and four essays/articles (written between 1880 and 1931) that deal with some of his major literary and social concerns. Part 3--an interesting balance to the first section--includes articles and excerpts from books by six "particularly significant" critics, focusing on various aspects of the short fiction. Recommended for all readership levels and all collections. J. E. Steiner Drew University