Celia Garth (Rediscovered Classics) [Paperback]

Gwen Bristow (Author), Sara Donati (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Rediscovered Classics | Publication Date: December 1, 2008

Bringing to life the heady days of the American Revolution through the eyes of a heroine who played a brave and dramatic part in the conflict, this novel follows Celia Garth, a Charleston native, as she transforms from a fashionable dressmaker to a patriot spy. When the king's army captures Charleston and sweeps through the Carolina countryside in a wave of blood, fire, and debauchery, the rebel cause seems all but lost. But when Francis Marion, a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army known as "The Swamp Fox," recruits Celia as a spy, the tides of war begin to shift. This classic historical novel captures the fervor of 18th-century Charleston, the American Revolution, and a woman who risked her life for the patriot cause.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gwen Bristow was the author of Calico Palace, Golden Dreams, Jubilee Trail, This Side of Glory, and Tomorrow Is Forever. Sara Donati is the author of Dawn on a Distant Shore, Fire Along the Sky, Into the Wilderness, Lake in the Clouds, and Queen of Swords.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press; Reprint edition (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155652787X
• ISBN-13: 978-1556527876
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars --A classic story of the American Revolution--, August 28, 2003

By 

Judith Miller (Bluemont, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celia Garth (Paperback)

CELIA GARTH takes place during the American Revolutionary War in the city of Charleston, South Carolina. Celia, the main character is a "sassy" twenty-year-old woman who worked as a seamstress in a very fashionable clothing shop. The inhabitants of Charleston were divided in their loyalties. Some were Tories and supported the king and England; many others were supporters of the revolution. After two months of conflict and bombardment, British forces occupied the city of Charleston.

The local hero in South Carolina was Francis Marion, called the "Swamp Fox," by the British. His goal was to keep the British army occupied in South Carolina, and away from General George Washington who was fighting another British army in the north. Celia and her friends supported the revolution and acted as spies for Francis Marion during the two years of the British occupation of Charleston.

The book is full of the flavor and feeling of the late 1700's. Luke Ansell, an American soldier sings the following little ditty, as he walks home after his first meeting with Celia Garth.

"Now girls why act so shy
When provoking men come by?
You know you're only wondering
how you strike us--

Oh forget the won'ts and can'ts!
For since half the world wears pants,
You might as well own up to it--
you like us!"

I learned a great deal about Charleston and how the people of that town lived through the very difficult years of the American Revolution. The book gives a lot of little tidbits of interesting information. For instance, it was popular for the colonial women to name their male babies, George. They would then tell if their baby was named after King George of England or General George Washington.

This is a well-written and very enlightening story.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book Ever!, December 13, 2005

By 

Mollie Titus "Mollie Titus" (Greenwood, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celia Garth (Hardcover)

At the prompting of my mother, grandmother, and aunt, I first read Celia Garth before I was old enough to even understand half of what Gwen Bristow writes about. Since then, I have read it many, many times, and it remains one of my favorites to this day. Celia is such a vivid character, and getting to see Charleston and the Revolutionary War through her eyes is like being there yourself! I cried my eyes out at the plantation death scene, marveled at Celia's courage through it all, and could barely contain my glee when she finally realizes her true happiness. I would recommend this book to anyone, young or old; if you haven't read Celia Garth, you're missing out. And if you haven't ever visited Charleston, SC--well, need I say more? You can see the harbor as Celia did, walk the same streets, see the spire of St. Michael's, and much, much more. It's not the same Charleston as it was a hundred years ago, but it's close enough and thoroughly enjoyable.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite!, May 1, 2005

By 

Whitney Miller (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celia Garth (Hardcover)

The first time I read Celia Garth was about eight years ago. I found it sitting on a bookshelf in my house, and I couldn't put it down. It immediately became my favorite book, and to this day still is. I just recently started reading Gwen Bristow's others, and I can't put them down either! Her Historical Fiction is amazing, and her ability to combine her fictional characters with non-fictional people and places is the best I have ever seen.