Saltwater

“Moving, beautifully written. . . An eloquent justification for studying the past.”—American Historical Review

“Both brilliant and beautiful, this book reframes grief as 'elemental rather than episodic,' seeping into the grounds of society and influencing the structures that rose from its soil. With deft theory, careful definitions, and extraordinary discernment, this book changes how we understand both early American literature and the history of emotions—a must-read book that models how scholarship pays attention to the language of suffering.”—Abram Van Engen, Washington University in St. Louis

"In Saltwater, 'grief' names trouble of all sorts: pain, suffering, affliction, injury, discomfort, sorrow. It hangs in the air as a lingering mood: subtle, quiet, gnawing. Treating equally the physical and the psychic, the experiential and the expressive, Eyring teaches us how to listen to those who grieve and how openness to pain changes our perception of the past, and of the present.”—Kathleen Donegan, University of California, Berkeley

“A profound meditation on the universality and historical specificity of grief, Saltwater traces a historical mood across court records, testimonies, medical tracts, and the land and water traversed by Indigenous and Black Americans as well as European settlers. This book is essential reading for early Americanists and a timely reflection on the subtle forms of grief that constitute the human experience.”—Sarah Rivett, Princeton University