The 1972 David R. Godine edition of The Journal of Madam Knight, with an introductory note by Malcolm Freiberg and illustrated with wood engravings by Michael McCurdy, is by far the most attractive edition of this work, originally published in 1825 (you can read the original printed edition here). While doubts about its authenticity have never entirely been put to rest, the journal purports to be that of Sarah Kemble Knight, written during a 1704-5 journey from Boston to New Haven and New York.

Filled with witty observations about the trials and tribulations of 18th-century travel, and with wry commentary on the people she meets along the way and the areas she visits, Knight's journal has long been used in anthologies of early American travel writing, women's writing, and humor. I remain somewhat skeptical of it as a historical document, but even if it is a piece of early 19th-century fiction, it remains very much a fascinating read. ( )