AGUILAR, GRACE. The Jewish Faith: Its Spiritual Consolation, Moral Guidance, and Immortal Hope. Preface by Isaac Leeser.

(AMERICAN JUDAICA).

L. Johnson

Philadelphia

1864

FIRST AMERICAN EDITION.

Singerman 1812

Grace Aguilar (1816-1847) was an English Jewess of Portuguese Marrano descent who wrote religious texts primarily for the benefit of Jewish women. By the time of her premature death at age 31, Aguilar had prepared in manuscript numerous works, many of which were published posthumously. Her collected works in eight volumes appeared in 1861 (see EJ, Vol. II, col. 428). The present work by Aguilar, directed at Jewish youth, is framed in a series of "Dear Annie" letters to a fictitious correspondent. In the Preface, Isaac Leeser makes mention of his earlier involvement in editing Aguilar’s Spirit of Judaism ( see next lot) and bemoans the untimely death of Aguilar, referring to her as "our sainted sister." He notes that in the present work he made no material alteration, "even to gratify the editor's dissenting views."