Imitation of Life

Fannie Hurst

366 ratings by Goodreads

Language: English

Published by Duke University Press, US, 2004

0822333244 / 9780822333241

  • Softcover
  • New
See all details

Seller: Rarewaves USA, HEBRON, KY, U.S.A.Rarewaves USA

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since June 10, 2025

View this seller's items
Softcover

Condition: New

£ 35.96

 Free Shipping 
Ships within U.S.A.

Quantity: Over 20 available

Add to basket
Free 30-day returns

Item description from seller

A bestseller in 1933, and subsequently adapted into two beloved and controversial films, Imitation of Life has played a vital role in ongoing conversations about race, femininity, and the American Dream. Bea Pullman, a white single mother, and her African American maid, Delilah Johnston, also a single mother, rear their daughters together and become business partners. Combining Bea's business savvy with Delilah's irresistible southern recipes, they build an Aunt Jemima-like waffle business and an international restaurant empire. Yet their public success brings them little happiness. Bea is torn between her responsibilities as a businesswoman and those of a mother; Delilah is devastated when her light-skinned daughter, Peola, moves away to pass as white. Imitation of Life struck a chord in the 1930s, and it continues to resonate powerfully today.The author of numerous bestselling novels, a masterful short story writer, and an outspoken social activist, Fannie Hurst was a major celebrity in the first half of the twentieth century. Daniel Itzkovitz's introduction situates Imitation of Life in its literary, biographical, and cultural contexts, addressing such topics as the debates over the novel and films, the role of Hurst's one-time secretary and great friend Zora Neale Hurston in the novel's development, and the response to the novel by Hurst's friend Langston Hughes, whose one-act satire, "Limitations of Life" (which reverses the races of Bea and Delilah), played to a raucous Harlem crowd in the late 1930s. This edition brings a classic of popular American literature back into print.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780822333241

Title
Imitation of Life
Author
Fannie Hurst
Publisher
Duke University Press, US
Publication year
2004
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
Language
English
ISBN 10
0822333244
ISBN 13
9780822333241
Item weight
408 grams

Rarewaves USA

HEBRON, KY, U.S.A.

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since June 10, 2025

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Item10 to 13 business days10 to 13 business days
First item£ 0.00£ 0.00
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay

Seller's business information

Rarewaves USA

10100 West Sample Road, Ste 101
Coral Springs, FL U.S.A. 33065