You'll fall in love with the spirited Fitzgerald family as they find romance in the turbulent world of pre-Civil War America. Raised to defy societal convention and follow their passions, these men's and women's rebellious hearts meet their matches in these delightful novels. The Reluctant Debutante: Ginger Fitzpatrick would rather be rallying for women's rights than attending the Cotillion Ball--until she sets her eye on Joseph Lafontaine, a half Ojibwa Indian New York society considers totally unsuitable for marriage to a fine, cultured young lady. The Abolitionist's Secret: Heather Fitzpatrick falls for young army lieutenant David Whitman, who is tracking the runaway slave she rescued a few nights earlier. Can their attraction survive the coming divide between North and South? Banking on Temperance: At age 23, Basil Fitzpatrick is the owner of the St. Louis branch of the family banking business with his pick of the ladies--but it's impoverished spitfire Temperance Jones, daughter of a circuit-riding preacher, who catches his eye. She's determined to get to Oregon--does he have the courage to follow? Sensuality Level: Sensual

Fall in love with the spirited Fitzpatrick family as they find romance in turbulent Civil War-era America. Settle in to enjoy these ten tales of independent American heroines who meet their rebellious matches! The Reluctant Debutante: Ginger Fitzpatrick would rather be rallying for women’s rights than attending the Cotillion Ball—until she sets her eye on Joseph Lafontaine, a half Ojibwa Indian, whom New York society deems her unsuitable to marry. But love knows no such boundaries… The Abolitionist’s Secret: Heather Fitzpatrick falls for young army lieutenant David Whitman, who is tracking the runaway slave she rescued a few nights earlier. Can their attraction survive the coming divide between North and South? Banking on Temperance: Banking heir Basil Fitzpatrick has his pick of the ladies—but it’s impoverished spitfire Temperance Jones, daughter of a circuit-riding preacher, who catches his eye. She’s determined to get to Oregon—does he have the courage to follow? The Tempestuous Debutante: The smart choice says Jasmine Fitzpatrick should choose to charm the Viscount of Foxborough at this season’s Cotillion, but the noble’s stable boy, Parr O’Shaughnessy, may hold the key to her heart. Blinded by Grace: Grace Wagner has loved Halwyn Fitzpatrick since they were teens. When she needs a husband to inherit a trust, will Halwyn’s new glasses help him see her in a new light, or will she take control and propose? The Duplicitous Debutante: Rosemary Fitzpatrick hides her female identity as dime novelist F.P. Elliott, from new publisher Henry Cooper. When her deception begins to unravel at the Cotillion Ball, will deceit cost her the man she’s come to love? Expressly Yours, Samantha: To escape her wicked uncle, Samantha Hughes cuts her hair and joins the Pony Express as a man. Valerian Fitzpatrick’s fleeing life in the family business, but he and Sam fall in love once her secret’s uncovered. But does a future with her mean giving up the freedom he’s always craved? A Widow’s Salvation: Volunteering at the army hospital, widow Pepper Fitzpatrick Brown meets head surgeon Colonel Elijah Williams. It’s hard to find happiness in a war-torn United States, but these two wounded souls stand a fighting chance—if they can save what’s left of their hearts. The Forgotten Debutante: Saffron Fitzpatrick spent her teenage years mourning the dead rather than dancing at her debutante ball, with the exception of one forbidden kiss with soldier Ezekiel Boone. Fate reunites the couple three years later, and they discover unexpected common ground. An Unconventional Courtship: Discover where it all began with this bonus novella featuring the Fitzpatrick parents! When a busybody from back home confronts Charlotte Ashcroft, who’s attending a women’s rights speech in New York City alone, she grabs the man in a jaunty blue hat nearby and introduces him as her escort. What’s an up-and-coming young banker like George Fitzpatrick to do but help a lady out?

Everything’s coming up roses for an English miss and an American gentleman in this delightful new series from the author of the Cotillion Ball saga! After British soldiers killed his wife and child during the War of 1812, Parker Sinclair vowed to never set foot on English soil. But as Thomas Jefferson’s landscaper, one must sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice. The last thing Parker expects to find is an educated English beauty who can teach him so much more than how to plant a magnificent garden. An expert at cross-pollinating roses, Violet Wilson’s dreams of becoming the first woman recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society are fading because she’s afraid to leave the quiet solitude of her family’s nursery. Distrustful of men after a traumatic encounter, she’s not keen on disrupting her routine to help the American landscaper, but she soon blossoms under his kindness and respect. As they fall in love, can this shrinking Violet take the risk of leaving behind all she knows for a new life with Parker? Or is he considering a different ending altogether? Sensuality Level: Sensual

This volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture addresses the cultural, social, and intellectual terrain of myth, manners, and historical memory in the American South. Evaluating how a distinct southern identity has been created, recreated, and performed through memories that blur the line between fact and fiction, this volume paints a broad, multihued picture of the region seen through the lenses of belief and cultural practice. The 95 entries here represent a substantial revision and expansion of the material on historical memory and manners in the original edition. They address such matters as myths and memories surrounding the Old South and the Civil War; stereotypes and traditions related to the body, sexuality, gender, and family (such as debutante balls and beauty pageants); institutions and places associated with historical memory (such as cemeteries, monuments, and museums); and specific subjects and objects of myths, including the Confederate flag and Graceland. Together, they offer a compelling portrait of the "southern way of life" as it has been imagined, lived, and contested.

What southerners do, where they go, and what they expect to accomplish in their spare time, their "leisure," reveals much about their cultural values, class and racial similarities and differences, and historical perspectives. This volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture offers an authoritative and readable reference to the culture of sports and recreation in the American South, surveying the various activities in which southerners engage in their nonwork hours, as well as attitudes surrounding those activities. Seventy-four thematic essays explore activities from the familiar (porch sitting and fairs) to the essential (football and stock car racing) to the unusual (pool checkers and a sport called "fireballing"). In seventy-seven topical entries, contributors profile major sites associated with recreational activities (such as Dollywood, drive-ins, and the Appalachian Trail) and prominent sports figures (including Althea Gibson, Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, and Hank Aaron). Taken together, the entries provide an engaging look at the ways southerners relax, pass time, celebrate, let loose, and have fun.

Through the course of California's history, the land spawned a new breed of people--pioneers caught up in the struggle between loyalty and betrayal, triumph and tragedy. Clara Boneu had seen firsthand the great upheavals that had transformed the region. As her life drew to its final end, Clara had to decide if her loyalties lay in dreams of a past glory that might never return--or in the reality of powerful forces battling for the wealth of the land she loved.

Selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Selected as an Outstanding Reference Source by the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association There are many anthologies of southern literature, but this is the first companion. Neither a survey of masterpieces nor a biographical sourcebook, The Companion to Southern Literature treats every conceivable topic found in southern writing from the pre-Columbian era to the present, referencing specific works of all periods and genres. Top scholars in their fields offer original definitions and examples of the concepts they know best, identifying the themes, burning issues, historical personalities, beloved icons, and common or uncommon stereotypes that have shaped the most significant regional literature in memory. Read the copious offerings straight through in alphabetical order (Ancestor Worship, Blue-Collar Literature, Caves) or skip randomly at whim (Guilt, The Grotesque, William Jefferson Clinton). Whatever approach you take, The Companion’s authority, scope, and variety in tone and interpretation will prove a boon and a delight. Explored here are literary embodiments of the Old South, New South, Solid South, Savage South, Lazy South, and “Sahara of the Bozart.” As up-to-date as grit lit, K Mart fiction, and postmodernism, and as old-fashioned as Puritanism, mules, and the tall tale, these five hundred entries span a reach from Lady to Lesbian Literature. The volume includes an overview of every southern state’s belletristic heritage while making it clear that the southern mind extends beyond geographical boundaries to form an essential component of the American psyche. The South’s lavishly rich literature provides the best means of understanding the region’s deepest nature, and The Companion to Southern Literature will be an invaluable tool for those who take on that exciting challenge. Description of Contents 500 lively, succinct articles on topics ranging from Abolition to Yoknapatawpha 250 contributors, including scholars, writers, and poets 2 tables of contents — alphabetical and subject — and a complete index A separate bibliography for most entries