LONDON, Charmian [Kittredge]

Our Hawaii [Inscribed to Edith B. Williams, with Original TLS]

New York: Macmillan, 1917. First Edition. First printing. Inscribed by the author on a tipped in leaf preceding the half-title page: "Dearest Edith / to you, as your own self, and as Claire's sister, I need not say that this was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to the right man and woman! / Lovingly, Charmian;" datemarked The Valley of the Moon, 1919. Inside front cover has mounted envelope containing a lengthy TLS (ca. 350 words) from Charmian London to Edith B. Williams, dated 1918; Williams's bookplate inside front cover; publisher's prospectus for the 1921 revised edition of Our Hawaii laid in. Octavo (23cm); entirely rebound in plain green institutional buckram, titled in gilt on the spine; 345pp; illus. Very Good, with some mild external rubbing, light foxing throughout, heavier to title page. The mounted envelope remains, but the letter has been removed and placed in a clear mylar sleeve for preservation.

Edith "Kulamanu" Williams (1889-1972), born in Canada, was a long-time resident of Honolulu, where she ran a dance studio from the mid-1930s well into her later years; the Londons appear to have become acquainted with Edith and her sister Claire on their second Pacific cruise in 1915. The sisters are mentioned fleetingly in the book's text, on pp. 277 and 339. In her long and personal letter to Edith, included here, Charmian writes about the success of Our Hawaii, then just published: "My new book seems to be going well. They tell me Hawaii's second order for it was for 500 copies. That looks good. If Hawaii likes it, with all its faults, I am well repaid for all the heart's blood I put into it...Shall send you a copy soon. You'd have had it sooner, except that Macmillans [sic] couldn't let me have the copies. Sold out, also difficulty about the labor and getting more copies bound..."

Given this last statement, it's conceivable (though unprovable) that the current copy, in its homely buckram binding, was one either provided to Ms. London by Macmillan in the absence of available trade copies, or bound at either her or Ms. Williams' request from publisher's sheets. But in the absence of corroborating evidence to that effect, we offer it as an interesting if unlovely association copy of Ms. London's most popular book, a narrative of Pacific travels with her husband, the novelist Jack London. BAL 11984.

Price: $450.00

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