[4XQ]⇒ Download On Agate Hill A Novel Lee Smith 0019628724526 Books

On Agate Hill A Novel Lee Smith 0019628724526 Books

Download As PDF : On Agate Hill A Novel Lee Smith 0019628724526 Books

On Agate Hill A Novel Lee Smith 0019628724526 Books

The story of Molly Petree is brought to life through Molly’s journal, letters, newspaper clippings, and court records found in an old home called Agate Hill. Molly’s tale begins at age thirteen, set in North Carolina during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and continues into the early twentieth century. An orphan because of the war, Molly must learn how to survive in the harsh South.

Smith’s 10th novel, On Agate Hill, is thoroughly engaging. Molly is taken in by her uncle who, on the verge of death, marries his scheming, gold digging housekeeper. Selena all but kicks Molly out. Fortunately, a friend of Molly’s father becomes her benefactor and sends her away to Gatewood Academy. From there we follow Molly on a roller coaster ride of love, betrayal, treachery, and a spectacular murder trial.

I read this book on a whim and could not put it down. Not one for historical fiction, especially based in this time period, I was pleasantly surprised how easily I was drawn into the story of Molly Petree. 5 out of 5 stars.


Tags : On Agate Hill: A Novel [Lee Smith] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <DIV>A dusty box discovered in the wreckage of a once prosperous plantation on Agate Hill in North Carolina contains the remnants of an extraordinary life: diaries,Lee Smith,On Agate Hill: A Novel,A Shannon Ravenel Book,1565124529,Bildungsromans.,Historical fiction.,North Carolina;Fiction.,Bildungsromans,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction-Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,Historical fiction,North Carolina,SMITH, LEE - PROSE & CRITICISM,United States

On Agate Hill A Novel Lee Smith 0019628724526 Books Reviews

The story is told via an old diary, letters and current reports on research. It is totally fictional. The characters are many but it's expected when the story follows the entire life of one young girl. Ms. Smith does an excellent job of creating characters who are both interesting and believable but I got bogged down with details. This is not an easy read...don't expect to finish it by staying up all night. It takes time to digest all the happenings and characters. I stayed interested in the main character, Mollie Petree, wondering how her life would turn out. I was a little disappointed in the ending and found myself skipping whole pages of information I didn't feel was necessary. A good read if you have time.
I often enjoy a story told from a different perspective. A story drawn from memoirs and diaries offers us the thoughts of the character in its purest form. The reader has the opportunity to view the world as the character experiences it. Perhaps it is the voyeur in me that enjoys the intimacy of the private diary. Then using other forms of advancing the story lets us see the main character from other points of view and allows the reader more insight into how Molly is perceived by others. Molly is a wonderful example of a woman with ambition when women were not encouraged to harbor ideas of a life beyond the one dictated by the culture of the times. I enjoyed her stubborn and willful determination to live llfe on her own terms. An enjoyable tale.
The best part of this book is the author's skill with voices-- the voices of the many different characters whose stories meander out from Agate Hill and back. Especially good is the childhood diary voice of Molly Petree, the girl whose life is the central story of the book. The story itself follows Molly from her post Civil War adolescence as a neglected child in a house of mourning through finishing school, teaching in a one-room school, marriage to a merry womanizer,and back to Agate Hill for an old age among the many ghosts there. Mollie's life is stalked by a mysterious friend of her dead father, whose story ultimately is revealed as well. The premise-- a talentless graduate student researching the history of the school-- seems contrived and unnecessary; Molly's adventurous life would stand on its own. The adult characters at her childhood home and school don't come to life with nearly as much lyrical beauty or believability. Still an interesting read.
This is the first Lee Smith book I've read (to my recollection, anyway) and now I'm a fan. First of all, I loved the story. It was an amazingly detailed portrayal of hardship, love, depression, shenanigans, and culture in the reconstruction era. I found the character of Molly to be tremendously interesting but, because of the narration, I felt that I got more of a 360 degree view of Molly. I wish we'd known more about a few things, but I don't mind a few questions in my narration. The section of the novel that takes place at the boarding school where Molly is a student is chilling, but riveting.

I also was struck by the fact that three of the characters that I made decisions about I was forced to completely reevaluate by the end of the novel. It reminded me of real life, when you are occasionally (for better or worse) completely mistaken in your assessment of someone.

I found myself wishing that Molly would occasionally use some sense, as my grandmother would have said, but her behavior was always in keeping with who she was. And the perceptions that others had of her were not all that different in some respects from her self image. One of the things I liked about the book was the structure of the narrative. I especially enjoyed how the diary entries from Molly only took place at Agate Hill, although we did benefit from her point of view in the letters that she wrote to her friend.

Really an amazing book that held my attention and also taught me a little bit about how things were in south back in the day. I picked this up as a kindle bargain, but I imagine they will make more money off me soon, as I pick up the Lee Smith backlist on !

Great book, enjoyed the read!
The story of Molly Petree is brought to life through Molly’s journal, letters, newspaper clippings, and court records found in an old home called Agate Hill. Molly’s tale begins at age thirteen, set in North Carolina during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era and continues into the early twentieth century. An orphan because of the war, Molly must learn how to survive in the harsh South.

Smith’s 10th novel, On Agate Hill, is thoroughly engaging. Molly is taken in by her uncle who, on the verge of death, marries his scheming, gold digging housekeeper. Selena all but kicks Molly out. Fortunately, a friend of Molly’s father becomes her benefactor and sends her away to Gatewood Academy. From there we follow Molly on a roller coaster ride of love, betrayal, treachery, and a spectacular murder trial.

I read this book on a whim and could not put it down. Not one for historical fiction, especially based in this time period, I was pleasantly surprised how easily I was drawn into the story of Molly Petree. 5 out of 5 stars.