The Country of the Pointed Firs combines Jewett's classic novella and its four short sequels with nine of her best stories, including five unavailable in any other paperback edition. They illustrate the range of her literary style and exemplify her interest in the position of women in nineteenth-century America. Terry Heller's introduction examines the work within the mainstream of American literature, and detailed annotation, as well as a list of the plant and herb lore to which Jewett makes reference, further illuminate these tales.