Edward Noyes Westcott

Edward Noyes Westcott
Edward Noyes Westcott was an American author best known for his posthumously published novel "David Harum" (1898). The book, a portrayal of a small-town banker with shrewd business acumen and a heart for helping people, became an instant bestseller, praised for its humor and insight into human nature. Westcott, who was originally a banker, wrote the novel while battling tuberculosis, but passed away before seeing its success. Despite his brief literary career, "David Harum" became a significant part of American popular literature in the late 19th century.

Author's Books:


INTRODUCTION. The's as much human nature in some folks as th' is in others, if not more.—David Harum. One of the most conspicuous characteristics of our contemporary native fiction is an increasing tendency to subordinate plot or story to the bold and realistic portrayal of some of the types of American life and manners. And the reason for this is not far to seek. The extraordinary mixing... more...

PREFACE ave done the thing his own way," said Aunt Polly to the Widow Cullom. "Kind o' fetched it round fer a merry Chris'mus, didn't he?" This is the story which is reprinted here from Mr. Westcott's famous book. It was David Harum's nature to do things in his own way, and the quaintness of his methods in raising the Widow Cullom from the depths of despair to the... more...