Celia Garth - Book 26

Celia Garth, by Gwen Bristow, was published in 1959 and apparently is a great favorite of those who love historical romances, which is why it is being republished in the Rediscovered Classics series.  I had never heard of it nor the author before.  It is set in Revolutionary America during the siege of Charleston and is about 19 year old Celia, a poor relation, who must work for a living.  She sews for the fashionable dress shop in Charleston, Mrs. Thorley's.  She is a gifted seamstress but she can not show her talents for Mrs. Thorley is very rigid about what new girls will be allowed to do in her shop.  Celia is sure she can sew the most fashionable dresses out there in Charleston society.  The American Revolution has been going on for some time now but Celia was out in the country when the last local skirmish happened which ended in a British defeat.  The war seems to be happening to other people and the people in Charleston are barely inconvenienced and only dimly aware, that is, that is how Celia sees things.

But then things start heating up.  The British are getting ready to lay siege to Charleston.  Just as this happens Celia finds herself in love with Jimmy Rand, a kind, intelligent young man of a fairly well to do family; a warm and loving family, which is something Celia has never known and for which she longs.   Her own parents died when she was very young and she was raised quite resentfully by an Aunt.  She doesn't get along at all with her aunt's son with whom she grew up.

Celia is a courageous girl who we can see maturing during the course of the book.  She faces terribly tragedy, becomes a spy for the rebels, struggles with despair and loneliness and well, I won't tell you the ending!

The book is written in a very straightforward way.  The plot is well developed and the characters are well developed as well, in a young adult novel sort of way.   I can see this being a favorite of young ladies who love historical novels.  For me,  I found it a little plodding and simplistic.  I wished for deeper language.  The wording often struck me a bit anachronistic as did Celia's character, though the details of everyday life and all the military happenings seemed very accurate to me.  But you would never have known that slavery existed or was a bad thing.  The 'Negro' help were all warmly bound to their white masters and bravely fighting the British for them.  That part did not strike me as realistic.  And right at the climax when a certain gentleman (who works under General Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox), who you know has a thing for Celia, reveals his feelings, well, it struck me as a little creepy.  So that just didn't work for me.

I'd give this book a B.  It is better than average, very clean, but not excellent.

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