I read with much interest Harold Bush's review of the new Ron Powers book
and look forward to reading it.  When working on my dissertation I too was
struck by the lack of study in young Sam's early years.  At the time, I had
to heavily quote from the then new biography, THE MAKING OF MARK TWAIN by
John Lauber.  If memory serves, it appeared in 1985.

It occurred to me that this book seems to have disappeared from all
discussions or bibliographies of  Twain.  Out of curiosity, what reputation
does that little book have now?  Is it being read at all or is it relegated
to the also rans of literary studies?