Customer Reviews

An Antebellum Plantation Household: Including the South Carolina Low Country Receipts and Remedies of Emily Wharton Sinkler

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There is always something intriquing about finding a personal notebook written by our ancestors and this is no exception.

Emily Wharton Sinkler, a Philadelphia society lady marries and becomes a southern belle. The author has done a superb job of blending Emily's letters home, her "household notes" and family lore into a compelling retelling of life before the civil war. Anna Sinkler Whaley LeClercq has given us a unique and warm look at a lost way of life.

An Antebellum Plantation Household is a unique opportunity to view life on a plantation in the 1800's. Emily Wharton Sinkler was raised in Philadelphia and moved to South Carolina as the 19 year old bride of Charles Sinkler. She lived on a plantation which was one of several that belonged to her husband's family. This book contains letters Emily wrote to her family describing her daily life, and the society she moved in. She describes the land, the family life, the discussions of war between the north and south, sewing projects, the slaves her husband owned, religious life, and much more. The letters that have survived give a glimpse into the life of a plantation wife. The second half of the book is "reciepts" or receipes for food, home health remedies and cleaning potions. I actually tried Potatoes a La Lyonnaise and got rave reviews. It is interesting to see how evertday cleaning supplies were made and the mixture for hair dye. This is a rare glimpse into life in the 1800's.

I was very disappointed in this book. I expected much more information regarding daily life of the family in an antebellum household . The letters were few, and not very informative. "Mary's World" and "Children of Pride" were infinitely better books.

I was annoyed by the author's interruptions and her naive statements such as "there were no antibiotics in l864. " Well, of course not! The intelligent reader know when antibiotics were introduced.

This book read like a term paper, and that annoyed me.

I was very disappointed in this book. I expected much more information regarding daily life . I was annoyed by the author's interruptions and her naive statements such as "there were no antibiotics in l864. Well, of course not! The intelligent reader know when antibiotics were inroduced. This book read like a term paper, and that annoyed me.