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editFarro published her novel True Love when she was 26 years old. At the time of its release, American newspapers stated it was the first novel to be published by an African-American woman. The book is a domestic romance and melodrama set in England, and follows the story of a man who is unable to marry her love, Janey, due to her mother's and sister's interference. Farro's favorite writers were Oliver Wendell Holmes, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Charles Dickens.
Early Life
editFamily and childhood
editSarah E. Farro was born in Jefferson County, Illinois in 1859 to John Farro and Jemima "Jane" Jane. Although it is unknown how Farro's parents met or if they were formerly enslaved, they were living in Chicago when Sarah, their oldest child, was born, having left the South.
Farro is the oldest of three children having two younger sisters Alvira and Ammie. The Farros grew up in Avondale as a middle-class family in their own built property that John Farro's income supported.
Little information is known about Farro's education growing up as a child, but she is described as "a woman of good education" after the publication of her novel True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life.
Later Life
editCommunity Organizations
editSarah E. Farro was a member of the Old Settlers Club founded in 1943. The purpose of the club was to honor the earliest immigrant families and keep their legacy of Chicago alive. The Farro family was classified as members of the club because of her birth in the city. The Old Settlers Club recognized Farro as an old settler and the creator of True Love in 1937.
Death
editThe cause and further details of Farro's death are unknown. Little is known whether Farro was married since she never changed her name. She remained a respected part of Chicago's black community for a very long time.
True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life
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Summary
editFarro's first and only known novel, True Love: A Story of English Domestic Life, is set in an alternate England. The romance novel features wealthy aristocrat, Charles Taylor, and his difficulties in marrying middle-class, Janey, due to the intervention of her mother, Mrs. Brewster.
Publication
editTrue Love's publication was thought to be the first novel an African American woman produced based on the people of the United States and Britain. After being copyrighted in 1891, the novel first received global awareness and publicity in 1892. Farro's novel gained publicity since it was focused on her race.
Significance
editFarro's novel was considered one of the first works from an African American woman. The novel was one of the first works in the nineteenth century to be printed, distributed, and publicized after being written by a female Black author.
