E D E N Southworth

The Hidden Hand E D E N Southworth

The Hidden Hand (or Capitola the Madcap) is a serial novel by E. D. E. N. Southworth first published in the New York Ledger in 1859, and was Southworth's most popular novel. It was serialized twice more, first in 1868-69 and then again 1883 (in slightly revised form), before first appearing in book form in 1888. The novel was also serialized in the London Guide to Literature, Science, Art, and General Information simultaneous to its first publication in the New York Ledger. The name of the novel was changed to The Masked Mother for the London edition. The Hidden Hand features Capitola Black, a tomboyish protagonist who finds herself in a myriad of adventures. Southworth stated that nearly every adventure of her heroine came from real life. In the London version of the novel published by the Guide, the characters and action were revised and relocated.