Three generations

"Three Generations" by Maud Howe Elliott is a memoir chronicling the life and upbringing of the author within a distinguished Bostonian family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Beginning in 1916 with the news of Henry James's death, the book serves as a reflective account of Elliott’s early experiences and the significant familial and social bonds that shaped her. She recalls her birth at the Perkins Institution for the Blind, founded by her father, and illustrates her relationships with influential figures such as her mother, Julia Ward Howe, and friends like Theodore Parker and John Brown. These recollections paint a vibrant portrait of her family's prominent position within a rich milieu of social and cultural engagement, thus constructing a framework for the exploration of her early personal history.