Today we read a story about the Roaring 20s and it reminded me of two books I have read several times.
Alexandra Ripley, who was commissioned to write the sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind, was the author of Charleston and On Leaving Charleston.
Charleston tells the story of Elizabeth Tradd from the age of 3 years old to 40 years old. Her life is a story of heartbreaks and triumphs. Lizzie is raised in the wealth and finery of the Old South, until the Civil War leaves her family bordering on poverty. She struggles through Reconstruction in Charleston, where the Yankees occupied for many years. The family will never be the same after the War and this book chronicles those changes.
On Leaving Charleston is Ripley's sequel to Charleston. It chronicles the rise and fall and subsequent recuperation of Garden Tradd, the grand-neice of Elizabeth Tradd and daughter of a once-rich family that became poor after the Civil War. Garden marries the rich, fast Yankee, Schuyler Harris and is ripped from Charleston on a whirl-wind tour of New York and Europe. This book chronicles the opulent spending of the Roaring 20s. Through Garden's eyes, readers can see how the 20s affected the participants. When Garden is forced to return to Charleston, the people shun her for her behavior. Yet, she has her aunt Elizabeth and her daughter and no one protects their own like South Carolinians. So when the Harrises come back for trouble, they meet the brick wall that is Charleston.
Two great books for you to check out! We may have them in the library here, and I know you can find them in the town library!
1 comment:
Kennisha--The books deal with much more than just war. They look at the lifestyle of the time period, not the battles. In many of these novels, the war is almost a backdrop to what is going on--kinda like the Civil War was in Gone with the Wind. While the war inflicted events onto the characters, the books are more about the chain of reaction that those events bring about. You should check some of them out. Also, a movie for you---check out Breakfast at Tiffany's. Its another old movie that I adore.
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