Henriette Hampton Morris

The story of the six Willoughby sisters and their lives at the family plantation in rural South Carolina

6 x 9, 290 pages
cloth, ISBN 1-57003-391-9, $20.00t

ABOUT THE BOOK

Beginning in 1910, this is the story of the six Willoughby sisters and their lives at Ashton, the family plantation in rural South Carolina. From courting in the upstairs parlor to swimming secretly with the neighborhood boys, the beautiful and spirited young girls experience life and love as they move from childhood to old age in this endearing first novel.

The story revolves around the three middle girls—Sally, Lucy and Daphne. As they grow older, the secure world of Ashton is left behind as they marry and move away. For each girl, the promise of love becomes a bittersweet and heartwarming portrait of Southern life from the early 1900s to the present day. Akin to the wonderful novels of Barbara Pym and Louisa May Alcott, and in the tradition of Jan Karon, Ms. Morris's vivid characters—Sally, Lucy and Daphne—come to life and live on long after the last page is turned.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Henriette Hampton Morris is a native South Carolinian who grew up in Raleigh and was educated at the University of North Carolina. She also lived in Atlanta for more than twenty years. She has worked professionally as a newspaper reporter, editor, free-lance writer and book reviewer. She is married to a former newspaper publisher, and has four children and ten grandchildren. She lives and writes in Columbia, South Carolina.

REVIEWS

"Morris's sweeping debut novel aims for readers seeking a gentle, romantic epic that gleans its drama not from racy action but from tender family ties and dreamy nostalgia."—Publishers Weekly

"Morris holds the reader's attention with ease, providing a lively pace and nicely developed characters, in a glow of nostalgia that proves most appealing. Indeed, her novel would make a lovely gift for the matured reader, while the less mature could benefit from its age-old wisdom."—The Columbia State

"Overall, Morris shows the redeeming value of parenthood and family ... Morris, a longtime South Carolinian herself, captures well the Southern penchant for tradition and dignity. Her characters are charming, if somewhat transparent, and the story flows smoothly ... She portrays her characters with such simple honest that the reader can't help but be drawn into their lives ... This debut novel is definitely a pleasant read, and lovers of classical romance are sure to enjoy it."—The Mississippi Sun Herald