Fine Books and Manuscripts

Mears, Helen. Mirror for Americans, [author’s personal review copy with edits[. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1948. First edition. Helen Mears personal review copy (her signature above the inscription “from S.S.” on the front pastedown) with detailed notes from her editor on the ffep: “I enjoyed & profited by/reading this fine book/I agree with your thesis/& consider it most necessary/to say the things yours has/said – we need much/more of the same/you have impaired your/ influence by anger &/some bias/more forever to you”; signed by the editor and also with marginalia edits throughout the text with references to the page edits on the rear endpapers. Original mustard cloth, cover and spine rust stamped. 8vo. Spine ends frayed, small tear to front board, light soiling or staining to covers. An historically significant and scarce copy. The book was banned by General Douglas MacArthur from being published in Japan during the US Occupation after World War II in fear of a Japanese rebellion due to her criticisms in the book of the U.S. policies and treatment of the Japanese people. It was not until the late 1980s that the book was translated into Japanese and published in Japan.