ROMANCING MARK TWAIN: Tom Sawyer Returns and Taming Huck Finn with E. E. Burk
Ever since their debut in 1886, Mark Twain’s indelible rascals Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have gotten into many scrapes. Aside from sequels written by Twain, the two have been immortalized in film, in stage musicals, on television, video games, and even in zombie stores. Now, novelist E. E. Burke has Tom and Huck lighting out in a whole new territory: grown-up romance (no, not with each other). Burke joins us for a special Valentine’s week program sharing her love for Twain and why she has created two new adventure novels filled with action and romance: Tom Sawyer Returns and Taming Huck Finn. Joining Ms. Burke in conversation will be The MTH&M’s Director of Interpretation, Rebecca Floyd.
Tom Sawyer Returns: The New Adventures
St. Petersburg, Missouri, 1864 – The country is at war, a divided state languishes under martial law, and a once-peaceful river town throngs with soldiers, spies, and sedition. Caught in the middle is Becky Thatcher. Once a pampered only child, she now faces poverty and despair after her father is unfairly jailed for treason.
When hope seems lost, the last person Becky expects to show his face is the man who broke her heart. Instead of improving matters, Tom Sawyer’s unexpected arrival—injured and missing crucial memories—catapults them into a web of intrigue involving her disloyal cousin, Tom’s relentless brother, and a childhood friend who promises safety and security in return for her hand in marriage.
Taming Huck Finn: An Adventurous Love Story
Missouri River, 1870 – On a vast, untamable river separating civilized society from the wild frontier, steamboat pilot Huck Finn lives life on his own terms, avoiding any entanglements that might tie him down. Until he’s named guardian of an eight-year-old orphan.
