Dear Lace Lovers, A two-page article about this fictional "memoir" appeares this month in "Embroidery" the magazine of the Embroiderers' Guild in England. I printed out the autobiography, read it, put it in a binder for my library, and am sharing: "Autobiography of a Pocket-Handkerchief", by James Fenimore Cooper. This is a period piece as to moral tone and plot. The story is told by a linen pocket handkerchief edged with lace, whose origins started in a Connecticut flax field. The harvested flax was shipped to England for processing, but captured by French pirates on the sea. The rest of the "adventure" is centered in France, Paris and New York City. At times, paragraphs resemble a old-fashioned sermon, but skip over those and the story flows. It really cannot be speed read, because of many French phrases. These are translated in paragraphs just below the text where they appear, so you'll not be too frustrated. (The French adds to the charm.) It appeared first in 4 installments in Graham's Magazine, about 1843. (A look-up of fashions of the period helps a reader to relate to the text and era.) On-line version is in 18 installments which print out to about 80 pages. J. F. Cooper was a famous American author of the period. Free at _http://cooper.thefreelibrary.com/Autobiography-of-a-Pocket-Handkerchief_ (http://cooper.thefreelibrary.com/Autobiography-of-a-Pocket-Handkerchief) Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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