Cabbages and Kings

Cabbages and Kings (1904) is a novel by American writer O. Henry. Inspired by his experiences as a fugitive in Honduras, the interconnected stories that make up Cabbages and Kings—the title refers to a line from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass—address themes of revolution, imperialism, exploitation, and greed. The novel is significant not only for launching O. Henry’s career as a successful professional writer, but for coining the term “banana republic,” now frequently used to describe the influence of American fruit companies over such nations as Honduras. In the fictional nation of Anchuria, the political reality and social life of its people are under attack—from within and without. An American businessman in the coastal town of Coralio receives a telegram from the capital city of San Mateo announcing that there has been a revolution. President Miraflores has fled to the coast, taking with him $100,000 from the federal reserve. Sensing opportunity, Goodwin gathers a posse to hunt down the fugitive leader, tracking him to a nondescript inn in Coralio. Cornered, Miraflores kills himself, and Goodwin elopes with the President’s lover, taking the money with them. Although a liberal government has successfully risen to power, widespread corruption and deep poverty threaten to thrust Anchuria into further chaos. Cabbages and Kings is a collection of stories centered on this troubled tropical nation, where greed supersedes honor and the interests of the people are sold to the highest bidder. Despite or perhaps because of its critique of American influence in Latin America, Cabbages and Kings was a critical and commercial success for O. Henry, establishing his reputation as a master storyteller with a profound sense of right and wrong, and everything in between. This edition of O. Henry’s Cabbages and Kings is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.