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Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Author: Allan Gurganus
An astonishing first novel about the Civil War and its aftermath in our own time, in the raucous voice of a woman who lived through it all. — Lucy Marsden is the wife of the Civil War's last surviving soldier; she is now half-blind, 99 years old, locked into a charity home and very talkative. The darkly comic tale that Lucy tells straddles two ce...  more »
ISBN-13: 9785551049173
ISBN-10: 5551049175
Publication Date: 9/1989
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1

4 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Bonnie avatar reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 419 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
I absolutely loved this book. Don't be fooled into thinking this is all about the Civil War...it isn't. Oh sure, there are battles retold, but in a fresh way, through the memory of an old man and the eyes of the young boy he was during those times. More, this is the story of the young girl who married him, their life and times, good and bad. A wonderful, interesting read. I even bought the DVD of the movie to see how they'd handled it. Not bad, but they left out a lot.
reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
So real it's hard to read at times, but you'll remember it forever.
PageSage avatar reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I read this book decades ago but remember loving it. It's quirky and fun and authentically historic all at the same time. It was entertaining! I recently swapped for it so i could keep one here at home.
reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 48 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
If you are interested in the "War for Southern Independence" you will love this book. 875 pages is a long read; it starts slow at first but gets better as it goes.
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reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 9 more book reviews
Incredible review of the true history of the Civil War from a perssonal perspective.
reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 37 more book reviews
This was not exactly what I was expecting. It was for sure funny in parts but it was mostly a confession for a troubled soul in the last days of a difficult life. It also shows that "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome" is not something new to war veterans. The book does not depict the life of a typical Southern Lady but it does give some keen insights to life in a typical Southern Town in the early 1900’s.
jeehae avatar reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 4 more book reviews
We are able to see the south through a vast array of voices. This is a book-lover's read and one that we will eagerly read again and again. This novel spans the time from just before the Civil War until the mid-1980's. It is exuberant, raucous, comic and even, at times, bawdy.
ferretlover avatar reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on
Great movie, I'm sure the book is better.
k00kaburra avatar reviewed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All on + 62 more book reviews
This is long, and a bit difficult to read. The language isn't hard - I'm not sure what the hold-up is, exactly. I enjoy the stories, and I loved the way Lady Marsden was described. "A woman who made paper look dirty because her skin was so white" - I think that's really cool. But a lot of the book seems like a history lesson, and I guess I just don't have the endurance for it right now.

It's definitely a book I may pick up again in the future.

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