A novel of a Southern woman trapped in the past and two brothers divided by the Civil War, from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Good Earth.
Lucinda Delaney is a southern belle ruled by a vision of life that no longer exists. The Civil War has come and gone and her side has lost, yet she is determined to proceed as if nothing has changed—a denial that stokes the flames of her … changed—a denial that stokes the flames of her irrational angers. Despite her returned husband’s devotion, Lucinda is sure he is having an affair with one of their slaves. After all, his Union-sympathizing brother, Tom, did just that, scandalously running away with the woman and settling into contented family life in Philadelphia. Over the years, her racist feelings and fears only intensify, and when it’s time for her own daughter to marry, her chief concern is the color of the children.
The Angry Wife
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Not one of Pearl S. Buck’s best.
Pearl Buck writing about the American South. Her characters are developed and she captures the mood of that era.
What a great author.
Historical take on the civil war period. Different book than previous books I’ve read by Pearl Buck.
Pearl Buck takes on the difficult subject of how the North’s victory in the Civil War did not change everyone’s attitude about race. The book has wonderfully developed characters and believable situations about racism. Buck captures your interest with her characters and makes you think with the situations she relates. This book will entertain …
Although prolific, Nobel-Prize-winning-author Pearl S. Buck is best known for her novels about China, this one is focused on the U.S. in the years following the American Civil War. It’s an interesting take on the South, racism, and 19th century industrial development — but felt disjointed, as though it couldn’t quite figure what it was about. …
What having slaves turn you into !
I thought I had read all of Pearl Buck’s books, so was happy to give this a try. A departure from her usual, but did not disappoint! Couldn’t put it down!
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Fascinating character study
Not among Buck’s better books. Neither of the two main characters were especially engaging (Lucinda came across as a shallow harridan), and other, more interesting, characters were underdeveloped. The premise was good and the beginning was promising, but the book was ultimately disappointing.
I enjoy books with civil war history and this was a really good one. I would read it again.
It was different from the usual Pearl Buck book but she still made you care about the characters.
Not anywhere near as good as “The Good Earth Trilogy”
P.S. Buck has written books that capture and captivate the audience. I read it straight through – chores totally forgotten.
Interesting book. I’ve read Pearl S. Buck’s books before. This book had a take on the Civil War that I had not thought of before. The story dragged a little bit for me and I found it hard to connect with the characters. The characters I felt were not well developed enough to hold my interest.
Well written, recommended it to all my FB friends. Good story line. Historical fiction but made very real. I really enjoyed it
A great read. Inspired me to learn more about the civil war and to question values and racism and white supremacy. Planned a trip to Gettysburg to learn more. The moral dilemmas the brothers experienced was interesting.
Not a typical book for author Pearl S. Buck.
Not up to Pearl Buck standards.
It started out okay but didn’t really end well. The story never really grabbed my interest much.