Trial and Triumph

Trial and Triumph

Trial and Triumph is a novel published as a serial in the Christian Recorder 1888-1889. The story focuses on Annette, a girl raised by her grandmother, who struggles both due to her race and the circumstances of her birth. The novel is a record of the political, social, and religious beliefs of the author, Frances E. W. Harper, who was one of the first black women in the US to write published fiction. Harper shows how faith, education, and community were vitally important to African Americans and how these helped Annette through her struggles. This novel serves as an excellent primary source for students of many facets of history through its depiction of intersecting identities, including American history, African American history, and women's history.