On Leaving Charleston

Rating:
Summary: Cinderella: The Day After
Review: Charleston, beginning of the 20th century. Garden Tradd, grand-niece of Elizabeth Tradd (heroine of Alexandra Ripley's previous book "Charleston") and daughter of an once rich family that had become poor after the Civil War, marries the rich Yankee Schuyler Harris. After the splendid wedding ceremony, they sail away to live happily ever after. But Garden's mother-in-law (I won't post a spoiler here, readers of "Charleston" will be surprised who she is) who hated Garden's family, is determined to ruin her, and almost succeeds in it. It seems Garden can save her marriage, but due to the mother-in-law's manipulations, she loses everything again and has to return to Charleston. People of Charleston turn away from her, she lives as an outcast with only her aunt Elizabeth and her little daughter. Garden has to build her life again. Just like Ms Ripley's other books "New Orleans Legacy" and "Scarlett", this is a story of a woman growing up and finding her own identity. With Garden, you will leave Charleston and see New York and Europe, can glimpse into the life of rich in the 20s and 30s, and meet the famous persons of that age. Also you will find the answer to the question in the end of "Charleston".

Rating:
Summary: Cinderella: The Day After
Review: Charleston, beginning of the 20th century. Garden Tradd, grand-niece of Elizabeth Tradd (heroine of Alexandra Ripley's previous book "Charleston") and daughter of an once rich family that had become poor after the Civil War, marries the rich Yankee Schuyler Harris. After the splendid wedding ceremony, they sail away to live happily ever after. But Garden's mother-in-law (I won't post a spoiler here, readers of "Charleston" will be surprised who she is) who hated Garden's family, is determined to ruin her, and almost succeeds in it. It seems Garden can save her marriage, but due to the mother-in-law's manipulations, she loses everything again and has to return to Charleston. People of Charleston turn away from her, she lives as an outcast with only her aunt Elizabeth and her little daughter. Garden has to build her life again. Just like Ms Ripley's other books "New Orleans Legacy" and "Scarlett", this is a story of a woman growing up and finding her own identity. With Garden, you will leave Charleston and see New York and Europe, can glimpse into the life of rich in the 20s and 30s, and meet the famous persons of that age. Also you will find the answer to the question in the end of "Charleston".

Rating:
Summary: A Dramatic Whirlwind!
Review: If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have more money than you knew what to do with and you thought that the idea sounded incredibly satisfying, then you should read this fast-paced, eventful novel. You just might change your mind. This novel follows the life of a Charleston debutante who began her life in rags and eventually fell into riches by marrying one of America's most eligible bachelors. Travel with lovable, naive Garden Tradd from her dirt poor beginnings in a slave settlement, through her adolescence in Charleston when she becomes a true belle, and then onto to New York, London, and Paris for a wild, sometimes disturbing ride through the early twenty-first century. I guarantee you won't be able to put this book down!

Rating:
Summary: Good description of metropolitan life in the Twenties.
Review: There were some moments that reminded me of Little House on the Prairie - how could so much tragedy happen to one person? But it was fun to see the main character traced through the roaring twenties in Charleston, New York, and parts of Europe.

Rating:
Summary: Great sequeal to Charleston
Review: This book takes place a few years after Charleston, it concerns an "ugly", unwanted girl named Garden Tradd and her life and times. This book incoporates real life history into the novel, Garden watches Chalres Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, see Isadora Duncan die, and weeps over the death of the LIndbergh baby. My only complaint is that Elizabeth Cooper who was a strong voice in the novel charleston is reduced to doing nothing but holding Garden's hand evrytime she cries.

Rating:
Summary: Great sequeal to Charleston
Review: This book takes place a few years after Charleston, it concerns an "ugly", unwanted girl named Garden Tradd and her life and times. This book incoporates real life history into the novel, Garden watches Chalres Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, see Isadora Duncan die, and weeps over the death of the LIndbergh baby. My only complaint is that Elizabeth Cooper who was a strong voice in the novel charleston is reduced to doing nothing but holding Garden's hand evrytime she cries.