The Catcher in the Rye. by SALINGER, J. D - 1951

Boston: Little, Brown and Company,, 1951. Octavo. Original black cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With the dust jacket. Accompanied by a 2 page autograph letterin green ink on plain paper, in the original stamped addressed envelope, postmarked 28 July 1963. Housed in a red quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Spine ends a little bruised, small bump to front board fore edge, light foxing to edges of book block and endmatter, a little worming to rear inner hinge. A very good copy in the jacket, spine panel somewhat browned, spine ends and tips a little chipped. First edition, first printing, together with an autograph letter from Salinger's mother Miriam in which she writes about Salinger, with a return address on the envelope of 1133 Park Avenue, Salinger's childhood home; also laid in is a bookmark inscribed: "Happy holidays and a good New Year from the Salingers." The letter is addressed to Cynthia Sudholz, a close childhood friend of Doris, the author's older sister, who also babysat Salinger. In the letter, dated 27 July 1963, Miriam Salinger writes to about Doris and J.D., noting that "We are having a real heat spell - not pleasant. Doris is in Cape Cod this weekend - she said heat is very bad there. Sonny [J.D.] said it's the same in New England..." "Sonny" was the nickname given to Salinger by his parents when he was born. Salinger purchased his Cornish estate in New England two years after The Catcher in the Rye was published. Intriguingly, Miriam also writes about her granddaughter Margaret ("Peggy"), who was eight years old at the time. She writes, "I told our little Peggy she is just a wonderful little girl. She said I don't think they would agree at my house". In 2000, Margaret Salinger released Dream Catcher, a memoir of her childhood and her difficult relationship with her father.