America s literary history begins in the cobblestoned

byways of Boston and Cambridge. With this guide in

hand, follow six enticing walks through these two historic

cities. Wander the winding streets of old Boston with

Ben Franklin, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Phillis Wheatley.

Discover why Emerson invited Walt Whitman for a long

tramp on Boston Common. With Londoner Charles

Dickens, enjoy the hospitality of Beacon Hill hostess

Annie Fields and read about her "Boston marriage" with

Sarah Orne Jewett.

Cross the Charles River to Cambridge for a glimpse

into Harvard s literary past and the haunts of Longfellow,

Henry James and James Russell Lowell. Discover other

literary sites with the help of easy-to-read maps.

Noelle Blackmer Beatty, a graduate of Harvard/Rad-

cliffe, was born in Boston and grew up in nearby Andover.

She is the author of The Dumbarton Oaks Gardens and

Suriname. Now a resident of Washington D.C., she enjoys

traveling the world but remains a New Englander at heart.