Ptomaine Street

Book excerpt: Orphan Warble Mildew has successfully managed to get herself expelled from school. She becomes a waitress and learns how to make the best cream pie around, attracting the attention of the wealthy Mr Petticoat. Winning over his heart with her pies, Warble soon becomes Mrs Petticoat and has to learn how to adjust to her new surroundings and position in life, with often hilarious consequences. Carolyn Wells’ ‘Ptomaine Street’ is widely regarded to have been a parody of the hugely successful novel ‘Main Street’ by Sinclair Lewis, published a year earlier. Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was a prolific American novelist and poet, best known for her children’s literature, mystery novels and humorous verse. Following school in New Jersey, Wells worked as a librarian, where she developed her love of reading. It was during 1896 that Wells' first book ‘At the Sign of the Sphinx’ was published. From 1900 she dedicated herself to her literary career, writing over 170 novels in total across a range of genres. Some of her most loved works include the ‘Patty Fairfield’ and ‘Marjorie Maynard’ series for girls, as well as the ‘Fleming Stone’ mystery series for adults. Wells is also well-known for her humorous nonsense verse, and was a frequent contributor of verse to magazines. She published an autobiography ‘The Rest of my Life’ in 1937. Wells died in New York City in 1942.