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Anne Rivers Siddons
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Colony Mass Market Paperback – September 3, 2002

by Anne Rivers Siddons (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,346 ratings
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"An outstanding multigenerational novel...We are hooked from the moment we meet Maude."  --New York Times

An unforgettable story of love, acceptance, and tradition from New York Times bestselling author Anne Rivers Siddons.

When Maude Chambliss first arrives at Retreat, the seasonal home of her husband's aristocratic family, she is a nineteen-year-old bride fresh from South Carolina's Low Country. Among the patrician men and women who reside in the summer colony on the coast of Maine, her gypsy-like beauty and impulsive behavior immediately brand her an outsider. She, as well as everyone else, is certain she will never fit in. And of course, she doesn't...at first.

But over the many summers she spends there, Maude comes to cherish life in the colony, as she does the people who share it with her. There is her husband Peter, consumed with a darkness of spirit; her adored but dangerously fragile children; her domineering mother-in-law, who teaches her that it is the women who possess the strength to keep the colony intact; and Maine native Micah Willis, who is ultimately Maude's truest friend.

This brilliant novel, rich with emotion, is filled with appealing, intense, and indomitable characters. Anne Rivers Siddons paints a portrait of a woman determined to preserve the spirit of past generations—and the future of a place where she became who she is...a place called Colony.

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  1. Print length
    640 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    HarperTorch
  4. Publication date
    September 3, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    4.19 x 1.28 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0061099708
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0061099700
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Siddons draws precise, unforgettable portraits. . . read this, get lost in it.” — Cosmopolitan

“Anne Rivers Siddons at her best. . . Characters are memorably well-drawn and invite our involvement. Siddons has her readers feeling the salt spray, smelling low tide, hearing the applause after a successful regatta and seeing the aging matriarchs on their charis at the Colony’s Yacht Club.” — Rocky Mountain News

“Colony is a book to grab and not put down, to dream about and to savour. It’s highly recommended.” — Indianapolis Star

“Siddons again proves with Colony what a gifted storyteller she is.” — Oxford Review

From the Back Cover

When Maude Chambliss first arrives at Retreat, the seasonal home of her husband's aristocratic family, she is a nineteen-year-old bride fresh from South Carolina's Low Country. Among the patrician men and women who reside in the summer colony on the coast of Maine, her gypsy-like beauty and impulsive behavior immediately brand her an outsider. She, as well as everyone else, is certain she will never fit in. And of course, she doesn't...at first.

But over the many summers she spends there, Maude comes to cherish life in the colony, as she does the people who share it with her. There is her husband Peter, consumed with a darkness of spirit; her adored but dangerously fragile children; her domineering mother-in-law, who teaches her that it is the women who posses the strength to keep the colony intact; and Maine native Micah Willis, who is ultimately Maude's truest friend.

This brilliant novel, rich with emotion, is filled with appealing, intense, and indomitable characters. Anne Rivers Siddons paints a portrait of a woman determined to preserve the spirit of past generations--and the future of aplaice where she became who she is...a place called Colony.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperTorch; Reprint edition (September 3, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 640 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061099708
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061099700
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 1.28 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,346 ratings

About the author

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Anne Rivers Siddons

Anne Rivers Siddons

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Anne Rivers Siddons (born January 9, 1936) is an American novelist who writes stories set in the southern United States.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,346 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book a great read with beautiful writing style. They also say the storyline is captivating and explores familial relationships. Readers also mention the characters are well developed and feel they know them.

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StorylineReading qualityWriting styleCharactersBook styleEmotional storyline
43 customers mention "Storyline"38 positive5 negative

Customers find the storyline captivating, lovely, and moving. They also appreciate the twists that draw them in.

"...It is such a sweeping, multigenerational story and Siddons is a gifted writer. I throughly enjoy it every time I read it" Read more

"ARS' stories are interesting, enjoyable reads, her characters rooted in the specific aspects and history of the region in which they live...." Read more

"...I am an avid (and picky) reader. This story is incredibly moving. I was drawn into a time and place I have never known by this author...." Read more

"...Siddons is a masterful storyteller and creates vivid and memorable characters. This novel is compelling, and you won't want to put it down." Read more

36 customers mention "Reading quality"33 positive3 negative

Customers find the book a great read, relaxing, and a summer beach book.

"...small issue in a book that was, on the whole, well-written and thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended!" Read more

"ARS' stories are interesting, enjoyable reads, her characters rooted in the specific aspects and history of the region in which they live...." Read more

"...Colony is worth at least a second read. I wasn't really satisfied with the way Siddons dealt with the women in the book until I got near the end...." Read more

"Story was beautiful & so enjoyable, only issue was the Length of the book, I will of course continue to read her books" Read more

26 customers mention "Writing style"23 positive3 negative

Customers find the writing style beautiful, vivid, and tight-crafted. They also say the book is tragic and beautiful.

"...It is such a sweeping, multigenerational story and Siddons is a gifted writer. I throughly enjoy it every time I read it" Read more

"...The descriptions of Maine were lush and beautiful; I was able to escape the cold of winter and be in this wonderful place! My only complaint..." Read more

"Colony is another tightly crafted novel by the inimitable Anne Rivers Siddons, whose intimate narrative shines through in this expose on summer life..." Read more

"...This book is tragic and beautiful, and the atmosphere created by Anne Rivers Siddons keeps you turning the pages, unable to tear yourself away, just..." Read more

25 customers mention "Characters"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters in the book well developed and like the characterizations. They also find the descriptive passages colorful but overlong.

"...The main characters in the book are so vivid, I still visualize and think about them...." Read more

"...Siddons is a masterful storyteller and creates vivid and memorable characters. This novel is compelling, and you won't want to put it down." Read more

"...I loved the character development all through the book. I could again do without the long descriptions of scenery that droned on too long for me." Read more

"...The characters are drawn without embellishments except for the occasional "ayah" which is the only hiccup in a long and exceptional..." Read more

4 customers mention "Book style"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book style lovely, relaxing, and never dull. They also appreciate the twists and surprises.

"The book is an extraordinary look at not so perfect families...such as many of us have...." Read more

"...I felt as if I was right there in retreat with Maude and her family. Lovely, relaxing book." Read more

"...characters were incredible , story was believable,heartbreaking.and loveable." Read more

"A wonderful family story that is never dull and has many twist and surprises. These continue right through the end of the story." Read more

4 customers mention "Emotional storyline"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the storyline believable, heartbreaking, and loveable.

"...This book is tragic and beautiful, and the atmosphere created by Anne Rivers Siddons keeps you turning the pages, unable to tear yourself away, just..." Read more

"This is a very long book full of sadness, happiness, accomplishments and everything one can think of...." Read more

"...This book is by turns lighthearted, frightening, romantic, sad, loving, and funny. The characters are many-faceted, and interesting." Read more

"...Her characters were incredible , story was believable,heartbreaking.and loveable." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
I have read this book every summer for the past 15+ years. Yet, each time I read it, I discover something new. It is such a sweeping, multigenerational story and Siddons is a gifted writer. I throughly enjoy it every time I read it
One person found this helpful
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Torey Dell
5.0 out of 5 stars A Most Memorable Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
First, let me say how much I loved this book. So much so, that after reading it the first time I actually went back and read most of it again! I did this partially because, after reading the ending (which, of course, I will not divulge!) I felt I had missed some information that was threaded throughout the book. (I did this second reading on my I pad instead of my Kindle, as it was faster to browse).
The main characters in the book are so vivid, I still visualize and think about them. The descriptions of Maine were lush and beautiful; I was able to escape the cold of winter and be in this wonderful place!
My only complaint was that some minor characters that were introduced seemed unessential and their narratives not followed through satisfactorily . But that is only a small issue in a book that was, on the whole, well-written and thoroughly enjoyable.
Highly recommended!
6 people found this helpful
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KJK
4.0 out of 5 stars were less connected to the main story than I would have liked. I found myself wondering what was happening back ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
ARS' stories are interesting, enjoyable reads, her characters rooted in the specific aspects and history of the region in which they live.
Siddons introduces the protagonist Maude as a young girl on the edge of womanhood, in the coastline area where she was raised, in the Carolina Low Country. The unique aspects of that region, as well as the unusual circumstances of Maude's young life, were less connected to the main story than I would have liked. I found myself wondering what was happening back there as Maude's married life unfolded with her husband in Brookline, Massachusetts, and in the summer colony in Maine where he spend his boyhood and where Maude would have to make her own way during her summers. Once past the disjointedness of the introduction and the falling away of her father and brother, I found myself engrossed in the character of Maude. Seeing the colony through an outsider's eyes, Maude chose to navigate past other peoples' flaws, thereby forming relationships and earning a respect that allowed her to be uncompromising where it mattered.
4 people found this helpful
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Claire Fullerton
5.0 out of 5 stars A Generational Family Saga
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2015
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Colony is another tightly crafted novel by the inimitable Anne Rivers Siddons, whose intimate narrative shines through in this expose on summer life in an insular, cloistered colony on the untamed coast of Maine. Maude Gascoigne is nineteen and fresh from the outskirts of Charleston, South Carolina when her new husband, Peter Chambliss, takes her home for the summer to his family's vacation cottage in an exclusive enclave populated by the East Coast privileged. It is here she goes toe to toe with her indomitable Chambliss mother in law, who is an implacable keeper of tradition and fiercely protective of her only son. There are tacit rules of decorum in Retreat; it is a place that holds fast to understated social mores that disapprove of anything beyond the standard set and adhered to from previous generations. In this monochromatic, yacht club society of starched linen and screened porches by the sea, a hierarchy of tenure exists amongst the old families' women: they are supercilious and set in their ways; they rule the roost from sea-side rocking chairs and know everyone in Retreat's business, while they cater to their men and uphold with steel spines the rhythm of colony life. Colony is a generational saga of players who return year after year to a setting that aspires to remain unchanged. The reader rides the coattails of Maude Chambliss as she finds her footing in Retreat and grows into a woman who is chatelaine of her own branch of the Chambliss family, much to her mother in law's chagrin. But time and tide ebbs and flows and much is mellowed through the passing years by births and the raising of children, deaths and the keeping of secrets within the confines of this unchangeable sequestration by the sea. The closer Maude comes to evolving into doyenne of Retreat, the more she realizes that her love for the area has its own tenacious version of loyalty, and one she plots to pass down to her unwilling grand daughter, whose past is damaged and riddled by her own connections with Retreat. Populated with characters as salty and constant as the sea, Colony is a roaring, undulating tide with an undercurrent of cause and effect set unwittingly in motion by players who revere discretion before confession. Its voice is searching and nostalgic, and its theme answers the question of what ends one will go to for love.
13 people found this helpful
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Belle Star
5.0 out of 5 stars this book is a true treasure
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Rarely have I been so engrossed and moved by a novel. I am an avid (and picky) reader. This story is incredibly moving. I was drawn into a time and place I have never known by this author. Treat yourself to a treasure beyond measure. Read this book.
4 people found this helpful
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Patrizia
3.0 out of 5 stars Love Anne Rivers Siddons, but this is not her best effort. She should have stuck to the South!
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Out of her comfort level. Too many unanswered questions. Jumbled. Characters unsympathetic .
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k8c33
5.0 out of 5 stars A Grand Saga
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2019
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This is the best of Anne Rivers Siddons' books, and they're all good. This story begins in Charleston in 1923, and sweeps readers through the history of our nation, as well as that of the wealthy families populating a beloved summer retreat in Maine. Siddons is a masterful storyteller and creates vivid and memorable characters. This novel is compelling, and you won't want to put it down.
2 people found this helpful
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yfv444
4.0 out of 5 stars A book involving at least three generations.
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2018
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I love Anne Rivers Siddons' books! With each one I read [always with a dictionary at hand], I learn so much from her laser focus in each one. This particular book, Colony, was riveting. It was one I shouldn't have put down, because it went through enough generations that each time I picked it up, I had to go back and review. Honestly, her preparation for each novel must have taken her over a year to pull together! My favorite book of hers is "King's Oak", which I am reading for the third time. Colony is worth at least a second read. I wasn't really satisfied with the way Siddons dealt with the women in the book until I got near the end. Then I understood! Her fiction women are always SO STRONG!
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

June r. Harkins
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
Reviewed in Canada on August 23, 2021
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This is a tremendous story. Didn’t think I’d like it at first,but dug in anyway. Couldn’t put it down. So sorry ended,but ended right. Must look for more of her books. A great read
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marlene0605
4.0 out of 5 stars Gefällt mir
Reviewed in Germany on January 5, 2013
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Anne Rivers Siddons - as good as always. Hard to put the book down, however my favorite is still "Outer Banks"
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Elizabeth Elliott
1.0 out of 5 stars book not very good condition. scruffy and creased cover and dirty marks ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
Took quite a while to arrive.book not very good condition.scruffy and creased cover and dirty marks all through book.
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