Charles frazier was done writing about the civil war after his awardwinning novel cold mountain. The first lady of the confederacy considers her painful past the. His literary corpus, to date, is comprised of three new york times best selling novels. In his powerful new novel, charles frazier returns to the time and place of cold mountain, vividly bringing to life the chaos and devastation of the civil war. The novel opens in 1906 in a fashionable upstate new york. Charles frazier born november 4, 1950 is an american novelist. In 1997, charles frazier s debut novel cold mountain made publishing history when it sailed to the top of the new york times bestseller list for sixtyone weeks, won numerous literary awards, including the national book award, and went on to sell over three million copies.
Author charles frazier reveals why he decided to write. Davis who is quietly ensconced in a residential hotel in upstate new york. Charles frazier is an awardwinning author of american historical fiction. Now, the beloved american epic returns, reissued by grove press to coincide with the publication of frazier s. Think thunder road meets night of the hunter meets old murder ballads. But now, with his superb new novel, varina, he has circled back. But charles frazier, bestselling author of cold mountain and the new novel, varina, says davis wife is actually worth a muchcloser look. Cold mountain author talks about new novel, varina. Charles frazier is the author of cold mountain, an international bestseller that won the national book award and was adapted into an academyaward winning film by anthony minghella. Charles fraziers new novel relates the untold story of varina davis, wife of jefferson. Rob neufeld talks with western nc novelist charles frazier about his new novel, varina, based on the wife on. Varina is a novel of an american war and its aftermath.
Charles frazier, awardwinning author, was born in asheville, north carolina, in 1950. Her marriage prospects limited, teenage varina howell agrees to wed the mucholder widower jefferson davis, with whom she expects the secure life of a mississippi landowner. In prose filled with grace notes and trenchant asides, he has reset much of the odyssey in 19thcentury america, near the end of the civil war. Cold mountain, his highly acclaimed first novel, was an international bestseller and won the national book award in 1997. Jimmie has made good as a teacher and after reading a certain memoir tracks down mrs. Cold mountain author charles frazier returns to familiar civil warera territory with varina ecco, april 3, the compelling story of the. Nightwoods 2011, thirteen moons 2006, and cold mountain 1997 winner of the national book award for fiction. Varina howell davis, wife of jefferson davis, president of the confederacy. Charles frazier, author of the bestselling novel cold mountain, is moving forward in time, in his newest book. Varina by charles frazier overdrive rakuten overdrive. Im not one to jump on the bandwagon of every new fiction published, but sometimes. Charles fraziers new novel relates the untold story of varina davis.
And charles fraziers new novel varina offers a fictional version of a reallife confederate. He won the 1997 national book award for fiction for cold mountain. Charles fraziers lively new novel varina ecco, 353 pp. For his new novel, varina, frazier creates james blake, the adult version of that boy. He is also the author of the bestselling novels thirteen moons and nightwoods. Charles frazier s new civil war novel, varina, feels strangely relevant in 2018.
Told in a nonlinear fashion to one of her longlost children, renowned author charles frazier s new novel, varina, recounts her life both before and after the nations bloody civil war in mesmerizing fashion. Charles frazier audio books, best sellers, author bio. With his muchanticipated fourth novel, charles frazier returns to the civil war setting of his national book awardwinning novel, cold mountain. In varina, a confederate contemplates her complicity. In varina, charles frazier portrays the first lady of the confederacy as a reluctant witness. Official website of charles frazier, awardwinning and bestselling author of cold mountain, thirteen moons, nightwoods, and varina. Frazier received his ba degree from the university of nc, chapel hill, in 1973, and went on to study at appalachian state university, where he met his future wife katherine, whom he married in 1976. Charles frazier puts his remarkable gifts in the service of a lean, taut narr. Frazier has done itthirteen moons makes you feel that change that happened so long before our own time, and makes you mourn it.
This is a suspenseful noir nightmare, complete with bootleggers and switchblades. Charles frazier s thirteen moons is the story of one mans remarkable life, spanning a century of relentless change. Charles frazier home 2016 applachian heritage writer. Charles frazier grew up in the mountains of north carolina. The author of cold mountain became intrigued by the story of varina, who struggled with being on the wrong side of history. Inman, a wounded deserter from the confederate army near the end of the american civil war who walks for months to return to ada monroe, the love of his life.
The novel opens in 1906 in a fashionable upstate new york sanatorium where the 80yearold varina is attempting to detoxify from a lifetime of. Charles frazier s new book, nightwoods, set in the 1960s, recounts both a love story and a story of survival and endurance. Davis, whose gloomy brother jefferson she married the next year. In the 20 years since that spectacular debut, frazier has published sparingly. The novel s protagonist is v, better known as the confederacys only first lady, varina howell davis, who married jefferson davis when she was 18 years old and he was 36. The extraordinary author of cold mountain and thirteen moons returns with a dazzling new novel of suspense and love set in smalltown north carolina in the early 1960s. Then he discovered the true story of the first lady of the confederacy. Varina centers on an unexpected and controversial figure. Charles frazier offers an indepth interview regarding cold mountain, including which elements of inmans story in the novel were real and why he chose his unconventional rhythm and timbre writing style. Charles frazier gives jefferson davis wife a voice in. Charles frazier s anticipated novel, varina, tells the story of varina davis, the second wife of president jefferson davis.
Newsday thirteen moons is a fitting successor to cold mountainfans of frazier s debut will be cheered to discover that the new book is another compulsively readable work of historical fiction. Author interview charles frazier, author of varina. Charles fraziers first novel, cold mountain, was not only a massive bestseller about the civil war, it was also a critical success. In charles fraziers novel varina, a latelife meeting with a former slave. In his powerful fourth novel, charles frazier returns to the time and pla. Charles frazier gives jefferson davis wife a voice. I always try to keep a few books on the go so im reading an american civil war novel called cold mountain by charles frazier. In his powerful new novel, charles frazier returns to the time and place of cold mountain, vividly bringing to life the chaos and devastation of the civil war her marriage prospects limited, teenage varina howell agrees to wed the mucholder widower jefferson davis, with whom she expects the secure life of a mississippi landowner.
Cold mountain is a 1997 historical novel by charles frazier which won the u. Charles fraziers anticipated novel, varina, tells the story of varina davis, the second wife of president jefferson davis. Whether or not his fourth book will earn the author new fans depends largely on whether or not theres a fresh audience. Cold mountain author charles frazier returns to civil. It was in the back alleys of historical research that he found the subject of his new novel, varina, a woman 21st century america knows little or. Blake, who is a teacher, becomes the book s driving force as he tracks davis down and pushes her to. Official website of charles frazier, awardwinning and bestselling author of cold mountain, thirteen. It won a 1997 national book award and was adapted for an academy awardwinning film. Her marriage prospects limited, teenage varina howell agrees to wed the mucholder. Author charles frazier on the three books you need to read now. In varina, charles frazier portrays confederate first.
Frazier, born november 4, 1950 in asheville, north carolina, is a bestselling and awardwinning novelist. In his powerful new novel, charles frazier returns to the time and place of cold mountain, vividly. At the age of twelve, an orphan named will cooper is given a horse, a key, and a map and is sent on a journey through the wilderness to the edge of the cherokee nation, the uncharted white space on the map. Just mention a new novel by the cold mountain author, and a line will start forming. Charles fraziers novel, cold mountain, was made into a movie. Frazier s childhood was spent in the small western north carolina towns of andrews and franklin, but it was the mountain near his grandparents, cold mountain in pisgah national forest, that gave him the title of his first novel. Nightwoods 2011, thirteen moons 2006, and cold mountain 1997 winner of. Youve said that after cold mountain, you didnt think youd ever want to write about the civil. From publishing execs in new york city to readers in seattle, everyone wondered the same thing.
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