Trial and Triumph (1888-1889) is a novel by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. One of the first novels published by an African American woman, Trial and Triumph is a story of family, faith, and sacrifice that advocates for education and equality for all African Americans. Originally published in serial format in the Christian Recorder, an important and historical periodical connected to the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Trial and Triumph was rediscovered in the late twentieth century and has since been recognized as a groundbreaking work of fiction by the first African American woman to publish a novel. At her modest home, Mrs. Harcourt discusses a recent controversy involving her granddaughter and an irate neighbor. Having sent Annette out to the grocery store for oil, she unwittingly gave the young girl an opportunity for mischief—on her way home, Annette managed to spill oil on Mrs. Larkins’ stoop, causing the particularly diligent housekeeper to curse the girl for her