This Side of Glory [Paperback]

Gwen Bristow (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Pocket Books (Mm) (September 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671814591
• ISBN-13: 978-0671814595
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Historical Fiction, October 15, 2001

By 

R. C. Luther (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: This Side of Glory (Hardcover)

This is one of the few Bristow books that I did not have growing up. I'd read the first two in the trilogy many times before I finally found this in a library. Wow! I love it. There is so much in this book about marriage and class structure, and, of course, World War I. I'd love to go through and put several quotes that really touched me from it, but I think you should just read the book! And while you are at it, try to read all the Bristow books -- she's wonderful!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Side of Glory is a great read., September 29, 2005

By 

Karen L. Farrell "Avid reader" (Pax River MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Side of Glory (Hardcover)

I read this book when I was a teenager as the first segment of "Plantation Trilogy". I loved the well developed characters and the era depictions of the trilogy and they really must be read together. I purchased and re-read the three with my own teenage daughter and she too enjoyed the great stories. I've often thought in recent years that I've "read myself out" because it's so hard to find contemporary novels that can hold my attention. Many are so predictable, stylistically weird, full of smut and flat characters, or just plain boring! This series of books are very entertaining and present a slightly different view of slavery that make for great discussions. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ---Life in the South, almost 50 years after the Civil war ended---, July 31, 2011

By 

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

This review is from: This Side of Glory (Paperback)

I recently found This Side of Glory in a used book store. I had read it about 25 years ago. I'm finding out that as I've gotten older, I enjoy reading a good story again. Why, because you see the characters in a different way. Now, instead of identifying with the younger characters, you see yourself as the mother or aunt in the stories you read. Your whole perspective changes!

This Side of Glory was published in 1940. It's the story of Eleanor Upjohn and Kester Larne. Kester is the heir to Ardeith Plantation. He's led a very privileged life with wealth and servants. His family is well known in the high society of Louisiana, and go back for several generations. Eleanor's father is a self made man who raised himself up from his childhood of poverty through hard work. He's has no respect for the idle wealthy and that includes the Larne family.

The story begins in 1912 when Eleanor and Kester first meet. Her father is in charge of building a levee. The levees keep the rivers from flooding the river banks. She is her father's secretary and a very capable person. This particular levee is near Ardeith Plantation. The couple first meet when Kester, who is the heir to Ardeith, stops by to see when the levee will be completed. Eleanor and Kester are immediately attracted to each other and over a brief courting period they marry against the wishes of both their families.

As time goes on, the young couple learn just how different they are. Eleanor is thrifty and unsentimental. Kester is generous, easy going and takes being wealthy for granted. The couple clash in many ways and finally realize that they have totally different values. It's a terrific story and the reader is taken back to another place in our American history.

This book is actually the third in a trilogy of stories. The first is Deep Summer and the second is Handsome Road. I'm hoping to find copies of both of them to read again!