This modest little book fired my imagination when I first read it in high school some twenty years ago. The chapter dealing with pre-Columbian agruculture is beautifully and lovingly writen. I intend to read this again and hope others will discover this gem as well.

This was my first introduction to the life of Edgar Allan Poe. The book was an easy read and satisfactorally highlighted the high (and low) points of his life. The author did a good job of using many direct quotes from primary sources and other biographies as well as from various letters. However, she seemed bent on painting Poe as a victim in every circumstance. While I do not believe everything negative I've heard about him, he was clearly a disturbed man - going from woman to woman to woman...looking for a wife, not being able to hold a job for more than a couple months, having volatile relationships with MANY people - these are not the symptoms of a mentally healthy man. The author tried to make it seem that everyone was out to get Poe and that he had little responsibility for his life's problems. While I do not doubt his genius, I see him as quite responsible for the misery he lived.

This book is great for any teenager writing a biography speech on Edgar Allan Poe! I highly recommend it!