Penniless and downtrodden at the loss of his wife and one of his daughters, Samuel Clemens turned to writing. The short stories and essays in Letters from the Earth find Clemens—under the pseudonym of Mark Twain—at perhaps his most quizzical and questioning state ever.

Written as diary entries, Twain penned a series of letters from the point of view of a dejected angel on Earth who observes the many curious natures of man. These pieces, gathered by Twain's literary executor, feature sharp takes on the inconsistencies and illogic of Christianity and farcical criticisms of American life.

Deemed too irreligious and controversial to see the light of day when Twain wrote them, their publication occurred more than fifty years after his death. A brilliant treasure trove of satirical and witty observations of humankind, Letters from the Earth showcases Twain's true range as an author.