Helen Dewitt

A signed, first edition of The Last Samurai by Helen Dewitt.

• Helen Dewitt (American).
• New York: Talk Miramax Books/ Hyperion, 2000. 
• Octavo.
• 530 pages.
• Inscription on title page reading "..wouldn't he really be better off playing football" and signed by Helen DeWitt.
• Spine is gray and white with black lettering, dust jacket is wrapped in a mylar covering, price uncut.

Helen DeWitt was born in 1957 in Takoma Park, Maryland. As the daughter of American diplomats, she spent much of her childhood in Latin America, living in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. In 1975, DeWitt enrolled at Smith College, though she dropped out twice before ultimately attending Oxford University. There, she pursued a degree in Classics and earned a PhD. DeWitt's debut novel, The Last Samurai, was published in 2000 to widespread critical acclaim. Prior to this breakthrough, she spent seven years working on various writing projects, producing nearly 100 unfinished manuscripts. The inspiration for The Last Samurai came, in part, from an argument with her father and her complex feelings about family. Additionally, the character of Ludo was partly modeled on John Stuart Mill’s unconventional upbringing.