signed first edition
1943 · London / New York / Toronto
by Chambers, María Christina
London / New York / Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1943. Fine in near fine jacket.. Lengthily inscribed first edition of this YA romance featuring an American girl falling for a boy in Mexico City, by the popular mid-century Mexican American author. Better known as María Cristina Mena, Chambers's work was dismissed in discussions of Chicano literature until fairly recently because of her focus on writing for a popular audience. Before she began publishing novels, she had found success publishing short stories, becoming "the first Mexican American to gain access to and publish in prestigious 'mainstream' magazines" (Begoña Simal, 149).
Many scholars trace the beginning of YA romance to Maureen Daly's SEVENTEENTH SUMMER (published the year before TWO EAGLES in 1942). These novels focused on contemporary settings, rather than "educational" historical settings that had been a reliable favorite for that age group. THE TWO EAGLES is a story of first love rather than the "ever" of Happily Ever After, really a coming of age story, while exposing American audiences to Mexican culture.
The full-page inscription on this copy, intended for a teacher, speaks to this context: Chambers expresses hope the recipient will "enjoy my book on life in Mexico — versus the "Ame. way of life," and asks if she will "speak of it to her librarian at her school."
A lovely copy, scarce in the original dust jacket, and with an interesting and pertinent inscription. 8'' x 5.5''. Original yellow cloth, spine lettered in black. In original unclipped ($2.00) color pictorial dust jacket with illustration by Susanne Suba. Color patterned endpapers. Illustrated by Suba in black and white. 176 pages. Inscribed by Chambers in blue ink across entirety of half title. Jacket with some marginal toning, spine gently sunned. Book clean and bright. (Inventory #: 50316)
Many scholars trace the beginning of YA romance to Maureen Daly's SEVENTEENTH SUMMER (published the year before TWO EAGLES in 1942). These novels focused on contemporary settings, rather than "educational" historical settings that had been a reliable favorite for that age group. THE TWO EAGLES is a story of first love rather than the "ever" of Happily Ever After, really a coming of age story, while exposing American audiences to Mexican culture.
The full-page inscription on this copy, intended for a teacher, speaks to this context: Chambers expresses hope the recipient will "enjoy my book on life in Mexico — versus the "Ame. way of life," and asks if she will "speak of it to her librarian at her school."
A lovely copy, scarce in the original dust jacket, and with an interesting and pertinent inscription. 8'' x 5.5''. Original yellow cloth, spine lettered in black. In original unclipped ($2.00) color pictorial dust jacket with illustration by Susanne Suba. Color patterned endpapers. Illustrated by Suba in black and white. 176 pages. Inscribed by Chambers in blue ink across entirety of half title. Jacket with some marginal toning, spine gently sunned. Book clean and bright. (Inventory #: 50316)
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