First published 2017
Mark Twain faces financial ruin in the 1890s. His literary reputation crumbles, newspapers mistakenly publish his obituary, and bankruptcy looms over his household. Rather than retreat, the aging author devises an audacious plan to save himself through comedy. He embarks on an international speaking tour that takes him across continents and into absurd situations. Twain rides elephants through India, examines diamonds in South African mines, and charms audiences night after night with his wit. Richard Zacks draws from Twain's private notebooks and unpublished correspondence to reveal this overlooked period. The tour becomes a test of Twain's ability to reinvent himself when everything seems lost. What begins as a desperate gamble transforms into something far more significant for both the man and his legacy.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, comedy, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, redemption
Setting: India, South Africa
Period: 1890s
480 pages · Paperback · Anchor