The Great Stone Face

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on the fourth of July in 1804 and went on to become one of the most influential American authors of all time. Much of his work draws on his Puritan ancestry and colonial history in psychological tales that explore gender, politics, religion, and community. He is best known for his short story collections, "Twice Told Tales" and "Mosses from an Old Manse," and his novels The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables. Nathaniel Hawthorne's stories lend themselves to multiple interpretations, and thus provide a valuable introduction to literary analysis.

""Do you know the prophecy?" asked Pastor Hooper.
Ethan nodded. "Someone will be born hereabouts who will look just like
the Great Stone Face, and he will be the noblest person of his time."

Ethan grows up in the shadow of The Great Stone Face. With everyone else in his village, he waits and wonders who will fulfill the prophecy. One by one, men of wealth and power are believed to be the likeness of the Great Stone Face, but as the years go by each one disappoints. Ethan begins to believe the prophecy will not be fulfilled in his lifetime, until a young child, seeing more deeply than all the rest, reveals the truth . . .

Gary Schmidt's retelling of this classic story by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a moving look at the nature of goodness and a life well-lived. And Bill Farnsworth has beautifully captured the period and the tale's New England setting with images in the tradition of the Golden Age of Illustration.