Die noble Straße

"The Handsome Road" is a sequel to Gwen Bristow's famous plantation saga, set during the American Civil War and post-war Reconstruction (1859-1876). The novel brings a striking comparison of two completely different social classes in the South through the fates of two young women: Annis Sheramy, daughter of the wealthy owner of the Ardeith plantation, and Corrie May Upjohn, a girl from an extremely poor working-class family on the outskirts.

While Annis enjoys the privileged life and luxury of the Southern aristocracy, Corrie May grows up in dire poverty, working as a servant on the Sheramy family estate. However, the outbreak of war completely destroys the previous social order. The Union occupation of Louisiana leads to the ruin of the wealthy planters, and Annis must face the loss of her family fortune, home, and apparent security. On the other hand, social upheaval offers Corrie May the opportunity to break free from poverty and make her own choices for independence in a world that is fundamentally changing.

Gwen Bristow portrays with remarkable historical accuracy the collapse of a traditional world and the birth of a new era. The novel explores class conflict, female strength, pride, and adaptability amidst the suffering of war and political change.