Thursday, June 12, 2008

Books: On Agate Hill

On Agate Hill
By Lee Smith
384 pages
Copyright 2006

An interesting look at life after the Civil War in the southern state. Smith begins with the premise that a graduate student has come across an old journal and other historic papers relating to Molly Petree. Then the reader sees the journal.

Molly, a young orphan, is being cared for at her uncle's plantation. She keeps a journal, and this is what we read. His fortunes change with the war, and then his health fails. Molly has a benefactor, an old flame of her mother's, who sends her off to a girl's school in Virginia.

The story picks up with letters from one of her teachers, and then ends with Molly's journal.

Interesting reading, particularly if you like historical fiction.

4 stars

2 comments:

  1. I do like historical fiction, so will make note of this book. Thanks.

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  2. Sounds interesting. I picked up The Last Girls by Lee Smith a couple of weeks ago, but it rambles a bit too much for my taste. I'll have to try On Agate Hill. The stack of books by my bed keeps growing - good thing it's summer time!

    ReplyDelete

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