Cold mountain author charles frazier returns to civil. Nightwoods 2011, thirteen moons 2006, and cold mountain 1997 winner of the national book award for fiction. Cold mountain, his highly acclaimed first novel, was an international bestseller and won the national book award in 1997. Charles frazier grew up in the mountains of north carolina. He won the 1997 national book award for fiction for cold mountain.
Cold mountain author talks about new novel, varina. Im not one to jump on the bandwagon of every new fiction published, but sometimes. The novel opens in 1906 in a fashionable upstate new york sanatorium where the 80yearold varina is attempting to detoxify from a lifetime of. Official website of charles frazier, awardwinning and bestselling author of cold mountain, thirteen moons, nightwoods, and varina. Charles frazier audio books, best sellers, author bio. Varina is a novel of an american war and its aftermath. Frazier received his ba degree from the university of nc, chapel hill, in 1973, and went on to study at appalachian state university, where he met his future wife katherine, whom he married in 1976. With his muchanticipated fourth novel, charles frazier returns to the civil war setting of his national book awardwinning novel, cold mountain. In prose filled with grace notes and trenchant asides, he has reset much of the odyssey in 19thcentury america, near the end of the civil war. The extraordinary author of cold mountain and thirteen moons returns with a dazzling new novel of suspense and love set in smalltown north carolina in the early 1960s.
Just mention a new novel by the cold mountain author, and a line will start forming. From publishing execs in new york city to readers in seattle, everyone wondered the same thing. Now, the beloved american epic returns, reissued by grove press to coincide with the publication of frazier s. Charles frazier s new civil war novel, varina, feels strangely relevant in 2018. Charles frazier s thirteen moons is the story of one mans remarkable life, spanning a century of relentless change. Charles frazier is the author of cold mountain, an international bestseller that won the national book award and was adapted into an academyaward winning film by anthony minghella. Then he discovered the true story of the first lady of the confederacy. Charles frazier home 2016 applachian heritage writer. In his powerful new novel, charles frazier returns to the time and place of cold mountain, vividly bringing to life the chaos and devastation of the civil war her marriage prospects limited, teenage varina howell agrees to wed the mucholder widower jefferson davis, with whom she expects the secure life of a mississippi landowner. Frazier, born november 4, 1950 in asheville, north carolina, is a bestselling and awardwinning novelist. At the age of twelve, an orphan named will cooper is given a horse, a key, and a map and is sent on a journey through the wilderness to the edge of the cherokee nation, the uncharted white space on the map. Frazier has done itthirteen moons makes you feel that change that happened so long before our own time, and makes you mourn it.
Charles frazier puts his remarkable gifts in the service of a lean, taut narr. I always try to keep a few books on the go so im reading an american civil war novel called cold mountain by charles frazier. In his powerful new novel, charles frazier returns to the time and place of cold mountain, vividly bringing to life the chaos and devastation of the civil war. In varina, a confederate contemplates her complicity. It was in the back alleys of historical research that he found the subject of his new novel, varina, a woman 21st century america knows little or. Charles frazier, author of the bestselling novel cold mountain, is moving forward in time, in his newest book. Official website of charles frazier, awardwinning and bestselling author of cold mountain, thirteen. It won a 1997 national book award and was adapted for an academy awardwinning film. Her journey begins as a teenager when she marries the already. In charles fraziers novel varina, a latelife meeting with a former slave. Readers who helped to make frazier s first novel a huge bestseller may cheer his return to the war between the states. But charles frazier, bestselling author of cold mountain and the new novel, varina, says davis wife is actually worth a muchcloser look. And charles fraziers new novel varina offers a fictional version of a reallife confederate. The author of cold mountain became intrigued by the story of varina, who struggled with being on the wrong side of history.
Blake, who is a teacher, becomes the book s driving force as he tracks davis down and pushes her to. I picked it up on the basis of the first page and i. Charles frazier born november 4, 1950 is an american novelist. Cold mountain is a 1997 historical novel by charles frazier which won the u. Charles fraziers anticipated novel, varina, tells the story of varina davis, the second wife of president jefferson davis. In 1997, charles frazier s debut novel cold mountain made publishing history when it sailed to the top of the new york times bestseller list for sixtyone weeks, won numerous literary awards, including the national book award, and went on to sell over three million copies. The novel opens in 1906 in a fashionable upstate new york. Charles fraziers first novel, cold mountain, was not only a massive bestseller about the civil war, it was also a critical success. Davis, whose gloomy brother jefferson she married the next year.
Frazier resurrects and reimagines an obscure historical figure the wife of confederate president jefferson davis at a time when statues of confederate heroes are being toppled one by one, with jeff davis among them. Think thunder road meets night of the hunter meets old murder ballads. This is a suspenseful noir nightmare, complete with bootleggers and switchblades. Cold mountain author charles frazier returns to familiar civil warera territory with varina ecco, april 3, the compelling story of the.
Varina centers on an unexpected and controversial figure. In varina, charles frazier portrays the first lady of the confederacy as a reluctant witness. For his new novel, varina, frazier creates james blake, the adult version of that boy. Inman, a wounded deserter from the confederate army near the end of the american civil war who walks for months to return to ada monroe, the love of his life. In his powerful new novel, charles frazier returns to the time and place of cold mountain, vividly. Charles frazier offers an indepth interview regarding cold mountain, including which elements of inmans story in the novel were real and why he chose his unconventional rhythm and timbre writing style. He is also the author of the bestselling novels thirteen moons and nightwoods. Whether or not his fourth book will earn the author new fans depends largely on whether or not theres a fresh audience. Youve said that after cold mountain, you didnt think youd ever want to write about the civil. Varina howell davis, wife of jefferson davis, president of the confederacy. Charles frazier s anticipated novel, varina, tells the story of varina davis, the second wife of president jefferson davis. In varina, charles frazier portrays confederate first. Charles frazier was done writing about the civil war after his awardwinning novel cold mountain.
Charles fraziers lively new novel varina ecco, 353 pp. Davis who is quietly ensconced in a residential hotel in upstate new york. Told in a nonlinear fashion to one of her longlost children, renowned author charles frazier s new novel, varina, recounts her life both before and after the nations bloody civil war in mesmerizing fashion. Charles frazier gives jefferson davis wife a voice. Charles fraziers new novel relates the untold story of varina davis, wife of jefferson. Nightwoods 2011, thirteen moons 2006, and cold mountain 1997 winner of. In his powerful fourth novel, charles frazier returns to the time and pla. Rob neufeld talks with western nc novelist charles frazier about his new novel, varina, based on the wife on. Nightwoods, fraziers new novel, is a departure from its predecessors in some respects.
His literary corpus, to date, is comprised of three new york times best selling novels. Author charles frazier goes contemporary in newest book. But now, with his superb new novel, varina, he has circled back. In the 20 years since that spectacular debut, frazier has published sparingly. Varina by charles frazier overdrive rakuten overdrive. The novel s protagonist is v, better known as the confederacys only first lady, varina howell davis, who married jefferson davis when she was 18 years old and he was 36. Charles frazier s new book, nightwoods, set in the 1960s, recounts both a love story and a story of survival and endurance. Her marriage prospects limited, teenage varina howell agrees to wed the mucholder. Charles fraziers new novel relates the untold story of varina davis. Frazier s childhood was spent in the small western north carolina towns of andrews and franklin, but it was the mountain near his grandparents, cold mountain in pisgah national forest, that gave him the title of his first novel. Her marriage prospects limited, teenage varina howell agrees to wed the mucholder widower jefferson davis, with whom she expects the secure life of a mississippi landowner.
Charles frazier is an awardwinning author of american historical fiction. His novel, nightwoods, is a thriller, set around 1960 in a remote community in. Author charles frazier reveals why he decided to write. Newsday thirteen moons is a fitting successor to cold mountainfans of frazier s debut will be cheered to discover that the new book is another compulsively readable work of historical fiction. Charles frazier gives jefferson davis wife a voice in. Author interview charles frazier, author of varina. His new book looks at the confederacy through eyes of jefferson davis wife, varina. The first lady of the confederacy considers her painful past the. Jimmie has made good as a teacher and after reading a certain memoir tracks down mrs. Charles frazier, awardwinning author, was born in asheville, north carolina, in 1950.
1255 1327 369 17 774 1273 823 996 502 95 511 946 984 1043 1386 1552 761 1591 592 107 695 1194 844 1388 1452 973 1253 648 313 881 1484 1182 211 985 101 728 1180