Love Letters

By the time she inherited her grandfather’s South Berwick home, Jewett was already a successful writer and spending half the year or more with her partner Annie Fields at Fields’ home in Boston or traveling. Much of the time Jewett spent at her South Berwick home was devoted to her writing.

While most of her time was spent on writing for publication, Jewett also wrote and received hundreds of letters in her lifetime. Many of the letters have been preserved and are a valuable resource, providing insight in Jewett’s life and work.

During the months Sarah Orne Jewett spent in South Berwick, her partner Annie Fields most often stayed in Boston, at her Manchester (Massachusetts) home, or visited friends.

When apart, Jewett wrote to Fields nearly every day, often expressing her longing to be with her. From these letters, the passion, affection, mutual respect, and love they shared emerges.