Mrs. Fletcher's Eden

the long version

Published by The Chowan Herald (newspaper) in Edenton, NC in 1975, this booklet (8½ x 5½inches, 56 pages) is a brief biography of Mrs. Inglis Fletcher's years in the Edenton area (Chowan County) of North Carolina. Roy Thompson, the author of this little booklet, had first met Mrs. Fletcher in the 1950s and interviewed her for a newspaper article a year later; but this booklet, written in 1974, is a personable look at her life and interactions with the people of Edenton from the mid-1940s until her death in 1969. Much of the information was gleaned from the personal memories of her friends and her housekeeper. Much of the book deals with her beloved Bandon Plantation which was located about 12 miles north of Edenton in what is now Arrowhead Beach which lies along the Chowan River. (The plantation house burned down in 1963.) There are stories of her writing habits, welcoming hospitality, her husband who basically functioned as her secretary, little quips about her books, and the many historically-oriented activities in which she was involved. The booklet also includes photographs of Mrs. Fletcher and both exterior and interior photos of Bandon plantation including her study where many of her books were written. Altogether, this booklet provides a warm, respectful view of the author.