Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

A Singular Life. By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

A Singular Life is a novel published in 1895 by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward. It was first published in serial form in The Atlantic Monthly from January through October 1895, and published in novel form in late 1895. It was the fourth highest best-selling book in the United States in 1896. The book was published in a period when Americans were exploring how the teachings of Jesus Christ could be applied to daily life. Several books considering the question were published in 1890s. A Singular Life, in this vein, features a protagonist named Emanuel Bayard who pursues Jesus-inspired humanitarianism by forsaking ties to his orthodox church. Among Bayard's projects is positively influencing a prostitute named Magdalena (or "Lena") to become more respectable and use her talent for singing for a better purpose. When he suggests she pursue a new career, specifically household service, she balks and refuses the stereotypical domestic role and instead works for a gunpowder factory