I'd give this 5½***** if TPTB allowed it.

The biography of Jewett is thorough, along with sufficient of the life of Annie Fields – a force in her own right – to understand the two women's relationship. And a generous amount of photographs are also included.

But beyond biographical details, the book (chs. 8 & 20) also includes literary analyses of Deephaven (a book I've really got to get around to reading) and Pointed Firs respectively. My one quarrel, in the Deephaven chapter, is with Blanchard's unfair depiction of Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford as a book all of sweetness and light.

For those interested in Willa Cather, the concluding chapter, right before Jewett's death, segues into a discussion of her relationship with and influence on Cather, particularly O Pioneers!.

My one slight regret – but this is just me, given my interest in Maine literature – is the merely cursory reference to Mary Ellen Chase, who was also significantly influenced by Jewett and in fact was the successor to Jewett among Maine novelists. ( )

I've probably read hundreds of biographies. This one stands out as one of my favorites. I like Sarah Orne Jewett, but I love Blanchard's biography. She gets everything right in this book. It's well-written, excellently researched, and of course includes index, bibliography, and notes. She doesn't dump every fact she knows into this thing; the length is proportional to the life. She gives the reader enough details of place and time to put the subject into context. Blanchard's analysis of Jewett's body of work is solid and perceptive. This book is an excellent example of the biographer's craft. If this book disappeared off my shelf, it's definitely one I would replace. ( )