The niece of Mrs. Sarah Siddons, Fanny Kemble was a woman of unusual talent, intellect, and versatility: poet, dramatist, novelist, critic, musician, actress, and dramatic reader. To Americans she is particularly interesting for her popularizing of Shakespeare from the seaboard to the frontier and for her keen comments, in both letters and diaries, on the American scene in the momentous decades leading up to the Civil War. Originally published in 1933. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.