The Last Silk Dress [Mass Market Paperback]

Ann Rinaldi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 1999

High-spirited, beautiful Susan Chilmark, fourteen, vows to do something meaningful to support the Confederacy during the Civil War.  Despite the wishes of her mother, Susan and her best friend, Connie, collect silk dresses from all the ladies of Richmond to make a balloon that will be used to spy on the Yankees.

But the issues behind the war aren't as obvious as Susan thinks.  When she meets her dashing, scandalous older brother and discovers why he was banished from the family, Susan unlocks a Pandora's box of secrets that forces her to rethink and challenge the very system she was born into.  Does she have the courage to do what is right even though it may hurt the ones she loves?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The theme of loyaltyto friends, family, country and one's beliefsare an involving integral part of this Civil War story. Susan, 14, of Richmond, helps the Southern cause by sewing and nursing the wounded, missing her father and trying not to rile her "half-mad" mother, who beats her and calls her a Yankee brat. In one exquisite scene, a troop of soldiers bound for the front pass by Susan's house and salute her for making their flag. After collecting silk dresses from ladies and prostitutes alike to be patched together for a reconnaissance balloon, Susan's view of the war changes; through her charismatic brother Lucien, she begins to see how slavery (and adultery) has undermined and all but destroyed her family. The setting of Rinaldi's rich story has been carefully researched; the writing has an irresistible pull. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

High-spirited, beautiful Susan Chilmark, fourteen, vows to do something meaningful to support the Confederacy during the Civil War. Despite the wishes of her mother, Susan and her best friend, Connie, collect silk dresses from all of the ladies of Richmond to make a balloon that will be used to spy on the Yankees.

But the issues behind the war aren't as obvious as Susan thinks. When she meets her dashing, scandalous older brother and discovers why he was banished from the family, Susan unlocks a Pandora's box of secrets that forces her to rethink and challenge the very system she was born into. Does she have the courage to do what is right even though it may hurt the ones she loves? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (October 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440228611
• ISBN-13: 978-0440228615
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > History & Historical Fiction > Historical Fiction

More About the Author

ANN RINALDI is an award-winning author best known for bringing history vividly to life. A self-made writer and newspaper columnist for twenty-one years, Ms. Rinaldi attributes her interest in history to her son, who enlisted her to take part in historical reenactments up and down the East Coast. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful, truly entertaining, sad and educational story, February 2, 2005

By 

Douglas C. Ryhn (Milwaukee, WI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Silk Dress (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book when I was the same age as the heroine of this book, Susan, and I absolutely LOVED it!! I bought this book that it was just "another civil war story" but it turned out not to be like any other book I've read before, and certainly not like any other civil war book I've read. If someone told you the plot of "the last silk dress" you would at first think it was totally cliche, and it kind of is, but it still seperates itself from so many other books like it and that is what makes it truly great!! You learn so much about this book and it is at times very moving. Anyway, my advice is to read this book!!!! REally!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definately one of Ann Rinaldi's best!, March 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Silk Dress (Paperback)

First of all, I'll say that Susan is my favorite character Ann RInaldi has ever created. She has spunk, intelligence, and bravery, and she isn't like a lot of 19th century women who sat home sewing all day.

I loved this book and flew through it even though it was pretty long. This book, set in the Civil War-from the Southern point of view, is about a fourteen year old girl (that'd be Susan) and her disfunctional family. Her mom has a few screws loose and is really cruel, her older, dashing brother Lucien is the talk of the town because of the gambling house he owns, and her father has got some secrets of his own as well.

I loved this book because of its drama and fast pace. I recommend reading this book at least twice- it wa sbetter on the second time and I picked up clues that I'd missed before that unlocked some of the family's secrets.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!! I wish there was a sequel., November 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Silk Dress (Paperback)

The Last Silk Dress is my favorite book by Ann Rinaldi, which is saying quite a lot since I've read all of her books and loved them all. Unlike Rinaldi's later books, the main character, Susan Chilmark, is entirely fictitious, but I think she is Rinaldi's strongest character to date. Susan is headstrong from the very beginning, but she undergrows a radical change as the book goes on. Although, Susan was never the stereotypically innocent (or conniving) southern belle, she gains a genuine perspective on where her life should be headed and what she, individually should be fighting for. Then she must make a decision in order to face the consequences of her earlier actions (and when Susan makes a decision, she pulls out all the stops.) Mix in an abusive mother, a brother who was kicked out of the house, and the Yankee artist who sneaks through the rebel lines and you are left with a remarkably fresh perspective on the Civil War. Read it.