UncleTom'sCabinisanovelbyAmericanabolitionistauthorHarrietBeechehrStowewhichtreatsslaveryasacentraltheme.TheworkwasfirstpublishedonMarch20,1852.ThestoryfocusesonthetaleofUncleTom,along-sufferingblackslave,thecentralcharacteraroundwhoselifetheothercharacters—bothfellowslavesandslaveowners—revolve.ThenoveldramatizestheharshrealityofslaverywhilealsoshowingthatChristianloveandfaithcanovercomeevensomethingasevilasenslavementoffellowhumanbeings.
UncleTom'sCabinwasthebest-sellingnovelofthe19thcentury(andthesecondbest-sellingbookofthecenturyaftertheBible)andiscreditedwithhelpingtofueltheabolitionistcauseinthe1850s.Inthefirstyearafteritwaspublished,300,000copiesofthebookweresold.Thebook'simpactwassogreatthatwhenAbrahamLincolnmetStoweatthestartoftheAmericanCivilWar,somehistoriansbelievehesaid,"Soyou'rethelittlewomanwhowrotethebookthatmadethisgreatwar!"
ThebookalsocreatedandspreadseveralcommonstereotypesaboutAfrican-Americans,manyofwhichenduretothisday.Theseincludetheaffectionate,dark-skinnedmammy;thePickaninnystereotypeofblackchildren;andtheUncleTom,ordutiful,long-sufferingservantfaithfultohiswhitemasterormistress.Inrecentyears,thenegativeassociationswithUncleTom'sCabinhavetoalargedegreeovershadowedthehistoricalimpactofthebook.
Firstpublishedin1843,CharlesDickens'classictaleofmiserlyEbenezerScrooge,whosecoldandembitteredheartiswarmedbythejoysandrewardsoflove,istheidealholidayread.