Over the many long years here I have written several decent posts .for Memorial Day. Today I’ll be picking and choosing from among them and reposting. For context, this is from last year when we were doing our Daily Readings. If you’re not familiar with The Man Without a Country, please do take the time to read it. It’s short– 76 pages beginning to end.

Guide to Daily Reading | Memorial Day

Published on May 25, 2020 by Marica

Memorial Day Reading

• Hales’ The Man Without A Country (1863)

My first thought was that this was an odd choice for Memorial Day, even in 1917, 1922, and 1925 (when Pocket University Guide to Daily Reading was published). That infallible source has a decent plot summary. But what really gripped me– is that the right word?– was the Introduction to my crappy old copy of The Man Without a Country (1905).

And then I read it.

It’s a story of redemption. Sure. It’s fantastic– no one would even be tempted to believe it today. But back in the crappy olden days, people did. Perhaps because they wanted to. But they believed it nevertheless. It is not classic literature. It is a “story with purpose” as my Introduction says. But it’s just as worth reading this Memorial Day as it was ninety-five years ago.

Stay well and keep reading.