History's Best Selling Products of 1917

1. A Son of the Middle Border

   Released in 1917 by Hamlin Garland, The Macmillan Company

   Published in 1917, "A Son of the Middle Border" emerged at a critical juncture in American history, just as the nation was being drawn into World War I and undergoing rapid industrial and urban transformation. This memoir by Hamlin Garland offered a powerful, nostalgic yet realistic look back at a vanishing way of life: the harsh realities of pioneering and farming in the American Upper Midwest during the late 19th century. Its publication served as a vital historical record, providing a deeply personal account of the sacrifices, struggles, and stoicism required to tame the frontier, thereby reminding a generation increasingly removed from agrarian roots of its recent past and the foundations of its national character. The book captured the essence of a bygone era.