Edward Payson Roe

Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888) was educated at Williams College and Auburn Theological Seminary. He was chaplain of the Second New York Cavalry, U.S.V. and of Hampton Hospital during the Civil War, during which time he submitted weekly dispatches to the New York Evangelist. He served as pastor at Highland Falls, New York after the war, and in 1874 devoted himself to writing and horticulture.[Wikipedia: Edward Roe]

“Roe first turned to a literary career after the Chicago fire of 1871. Deeply moved by the tragedy, he visited Chicago and penned his first novel, Barriers Burned Away, which proved a tremendous success. Rev. Roe died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of fifty after an evening reading aloud to his family."[Monte Wilson]

His books include:

  • Miss Lou (unfinished)
  • An Original Belle
  • A Young Girl’s Wooing
  • The Earth Trembled
  • A Knight of the 19th Century
  • A Day of Fate
  • Opening a Chestnut Burr
  • Barriers Burned Away
  • He Fell in Love with His Wife
  • A Face Illumined
  • From Jest to Earnest
What Can She Do? a novel by Edward Roe
What Can She Do? a novel by Edward Roe

“The narrative is fascinating.” — Chicago Advance. “An exceedingly well-written story.” — Churchman. Book Contents Reviews Preface 1 Three Girls 2 A Future Of Human Designing 3 Three Men 4 The Skies Darkening 5 The Storm Threatening 6 The Wreck 7 Among The Breakers 8 Warped 9 A Desert Island 10 Edith Becomes A “Divinity” 11 Mrs. Allen’s Policy 12 Waiting For Some One To Turn Up 13 They Turn Up 14 We Can’t Work 15 The Temptation 16 Black Hannibal’s White Heart 17 The Changes Of Two Short Months 18 Ignorance Looking For Work 19 A Falling Star 20 Desolation 21 Edith’s True Knight 22 A Mystery 23 A Dangerous Step 24 Scorn And Kindness 25 A Horror Of Great Darkness 26 Friend And Saviour 27 The Mystery Solved 28 Edith Tells The Old, Old Story 29 Hannibal Learns How His Heart Can Be White 30 Edith’s And Arden’s Friendship 31 Zell 32 Edith Brings The Wanderer Home 33 Edith’s Great Temptation 34 Saved 35 Closing Scenes 36 Last Words Publication Information Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019-09-02 Updated: 2019-10-05 (v5) Copyright: CC BY 4.0

2 Sep 2019

The Great Chicago Fire: Barriers Burned Away by Edward Roe
The Great Chicago Fire: Barriers Burned Away by Edward Roe

“Barriers Burned Away, a story of the Great Chicago Fire, was first published serially in a magazine, the New York Evangelist. In 1872, when it came out in book form, it shortly became the most popular book of the year. When his next two novels achieved similar success, Roe decided to leave the ministry and give full time to writing. He believed he could reach more people with the message of Christianity through his writing than through preaching. He eventually would write about a dozen more novels, as well as a number of popular short stories. He also wrote a non-fiction book, Success with Small Fruits, primarily about the cultivation of strawberries.” – Bob Sander-Cederlof

19 Aug 2019

Edward Payson Roe

Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888) was educated at Williams College and Auburn Theological Seminary. He was chaplain of the Second New York Cavalry, U.S.V. and of Hampton Hospital during the Civil War, during which time he submitted weekly dispatches to the New York Evangelist. He served as pastor at Highland Falls, New York after the war, and in 1874 devoted himself to writing and horticulture.[Wikipedia: Edward Roe]

1 Jan 0001