The Lost Books of Jane Austen by Janine Barchas (review)

Regardless, Mark Peterson’s history is a richly detailed biography, one that will inspire future generations of readers and historians to consider seriously the intertwined nature of the politics of history and memory. To be sure, this monograph demonstrates the importance of local history, independent of national narratives or myth-making. With The City-State of Boston, Peterson successfully rescues Boston from the annals of history, giving readers a compelling biography of a town that reads like an individual’s life story. Over time, that person whose life embodied best the free, distinctive character of Boston went by many names. At one time, for instance, the city-state was known by the name of Winthrop, Sewall, and Belcher. Later, the city would answer to Mather, Shirley, and Wheatley. Before the city-state faded from memory into history, it likely would have recognized itself by yet another, but, alas, that name has been forgotten, as history tends to distort memory (623–638).