Aladdin & Co.: A Romance of Yankee Magic

First published in 1912, Aladdin & Co.: A Romance of Yankee Magic is Herbert Quick's affectionate satire of the great American faith in getting something for nothing — the era of town boosters, land booms, and promoters who could conjure a fortune out of enthusiasm and a good story. At its heart is a young man with the fabled 'Yankee magic': the gift of making things happen. As schemes multiply and a small town catches fire with optimism, Quick traces the arc from dazzling promise to sobering reckoning, balancing comedy, romance, and shrewd social observation. This edition presents the complete, unabridged original text, faithfully reproduced and freshly set for modern readers, with a new introduction and reader's notes that illuminate the novel's world of early twentieth-century speculation and small-town ambition. Charming, wry, and surprisingly timely, it remains a delightful window on the American dream as a conjuring trick. Part of The Founding Texts Library.