New York Times Bestseller: The quest for the American Dream soars to new heights in this coming-of-age story of a young woman and her country. Living with her aunt in poor, rural Preston, Pennsylvania, thirteen-year-old Ellen Watson loves books and music and is completely oblivious to her own beauty. But her extraordinary looks arouse envy and malice in the female townspeople–and lust in the … townspeople–and lust in the males. Hired as a housemaid in the palatial home of the village mayor, Ellen soon catches the attention of his son, Jeremy Porter, who captures her heart in turn. He offers to send her to school, and four years later he proposes marriage.
As the years pass, Ellen’s life parallels the hopes, dreams, and fears of a no-longer innocent nation. As America’s enemies gather, Ellen must face her own demons. The wife of the scion of a powerful political family, she has everything she could ever desire: security, children, and a successful, adoring husband. But when tragedy rips her life apart, Ellen will be forced to confront some terrible truths about her marriage, her family, and herself.
Played out against the backdrop of early twentieth-century America, Ceremony of the Innocent intertwines Ellen’s personal journey with America’s emergence from the devastation of World War I. It raises vital questions, such as: Are we as good as we believe we are? And is faith enough to keep us moving forward even in the face of unimaginable loss?
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Very true to real life government.
Sometimes repeats itself, but it’s a good story.
A classic from Ms. Caldwell–
Preachy. Didn’t finish it.
I’m a Taylor Caldwell fan, so anything she writes, I love.
Absolutely terrible.
Depressing story of abuse
I love reading Taylor Cauldwells novels.
Taylor Caldwell is a favorite and I was not disappointed.
I chose this book, but will never read another by this author. It was excruciating to get through: pages and pages of pontificating on politics and social classes; characters who were wholly unlikeable; repetitive word-for-word descriptions of characters. By page 100 I was skipping pages at a time when the political lecturing began. Use your money for a better book.
Taylor Caldwell delivers once again with a well researched tale of the times, which is as true today as it was then. You can’t go wrong with one of her books.
Rather predictable
It is very well written and historical.
Taylor Caldwell was quite a prolific author. I am glad to see that her name is back on reading lists . Her works should be classified as classic. She has written many books on many different subjects. Not one is a repeat of the previous publication, as we find in many books today.
This author is one of the best to show human nature
As with all Taylor Caldwell’s work—-wonderful and easy to read
I enjoyed it for the most part, but was very disappointed in the progress of he main character.
Surprisingly bad for a world class author.
She gets a little flowery with her words, but it’s beautifully done.
The political climate in the time frame of this novel could be today. A difficult read, but worth it.