Ida May

novel by Pike

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June 29, 2026

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Ida May is a novel published in 1854 by American author Mary Hayden Green Pike, who wrote under the pseudonym Mary Langdon. The book was a popular success during the Civil War era, focusing on themes of racial injustice and slavery.1

The melodramatic story follows a child of wealthy white parents who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Published shortly after Uncle Tom's Cabin, Ida May sold approximately 60,000 copies within two years and was translated into German and published in several British editions. Pike also wrote other novels addressing social issues, such as Caste: A Story of Republican Equality and Agnes, and contributed to various magazines before turning to landscape painting.1

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Mary Hayden Green Pike
Her first novel, Ida May (1854), was published under the pseudonym Mary Langdon. A melodramatic tale of a child of wealthy white parents who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, the book was an immediate success. Published two years after Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Ida May sold some 60,000…
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Her first novel, Ida May (1854), was published under the pseudonym Mary Langdon. A melodramatic tale of a child of wealthy white parents who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, the book was an immediate success. Published two years after Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Ida May sold some 60,000…
Read More