Ishmael

Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth's Ishmael, or, In the Depths is a sweeping American tale of love, ambition, and moral endurance, inspired by the rise of a real man from poverty and obscurity to honor. Southworth presents it as her finest work, a story of how greatness can emerge from hardship through courage, virtue, and relentless purpose. At its heart is Ishmael, a young man whose fate is shaped by class divisions, hidden family history, and the power of loyalty and sacrifice. The novel opens in a rural valley where sisters Hannah and Leonora Worth, poor but self-respecting, walk toward the birthday celebration of their wealthy landlord, Herman Brudenell. From that bright beginning, the story moves into first love, academic triumph, and painful betrayal, as Ishmael's integrity earns admiration and his friendship with Walter is celebrated. But a cruel accusation at a school ball drives him to seek the truth about his birth. At his mother's grave, he uncovers a tragic secret of false marriage, ruin, and concealment, and begins the painful work of vindicating his mother and himself. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.