University of Virginia Library

“Miss Chesebro' has conquered a high place in a difficult sphere of literary creation.
Without indulging in superfluous comparisons, we tell her that she need not envy the
position of any female writer in this country. Her vigorous originality is a pledge of
ability for future triumphs. But if she shall leave no other memorial of her gifted
nature, it is no mean fame to have been the writer of `Isa's Pilgrimage.' ”

“The character of Isa is unique and extraordinary, requiring a powerful imagination
to conceive, and a master-pen to portray. The style is vigorous as well as luxuriant
argumentative as well as imaginative, and carries a wild and weird spell to the
heart of the reader.”

“To many the book will be merely a powerfully-wrought fiction, which they will
read at a grasp, and fling aside when they have gulped the denouement, as they do the
scores of novels which are constantly pouring from the press; but to all who think, as
well as read, it will prove something more and better.”

“The author has drawn a melancholy picture illustrative of the fallibility of human
judgment, and her tale, rightly understood, is a moral lesson of no inconsiderable
force.”

“The writer of this volume, we believe, had high intentions of doing a great and
good thing: it has marks of genius, truth, and feeling in it, and much of it is greatly
to our mind.”

“This is a work of more ambitious aim than that of the generality of brief works of
fiction. The character of the heroine is powerfully sustained, the subordinate characters
well developed, and the work elevated and healthy in tone.”

“She evidently possesses great facility with the pen, and bids fair to make rapid
progress in the path of letters. From a perusal of this new work, we have no hesitation
in saying that she possesses a comprehensive, inventive, and brilliant mind, capable
of conceiving strange scenes and positions, and reasoning upon them in sparkling
language.”

“The Pilgrimage is fraught throughout with scenes of thrilling interest—romantic,
yet possessing a naturalness that seems to stamp them as real; the style is flowing and
easy, chaste and beautiful.”

“Miss Chesebro' is evidently a thinker—she skims not the mere surface of life, but
plunges boldly into the hidden mysteries of the spirit, by which she is warranted in
making her startling revelations of human passion.”

“There comes out in this book the evidence of an inventive mind, a cultivated taste,
an exquisite sensibility, and a deep knowledge of human nature.”

“It is a charming book, pervaded by a vein of pure ennobling thought.”

“There is no one who will doubt that this is a courageous and able work, displaying
genius and depth of feeling, and striking at a high and noble aim.”

“There is a fine vein of tenderness running through the story, which is peculiarly
one of passion and sentiment.”

“We have here a picture of the pilgrimage of life, made by one who has climbed the
hill sufficiently high to make a retrospect of the past, give much of actual experience,
and dart a glance along the vista lying before. Whoever follows her attentively
through this volume will be the better fitted for the journey which all on earth must
travel.”

“This is the production of a writer of considerable fancy, and good descriptive
powers.”

“She holds a ready pen, and the pages evince a woman of deep thought.”