Celia Garth (11) (Rediscovered Classics)

I first discovered this book nearly 30 years ago while visiting my aunt. It quickly became one of my favorites. I was delighted to find this in the Kindle store, though I have it in hardback, as well. Bristow paints a vivid picture of Charleston and the surrounding countryside in the latter half of the Revolutionary War through the eyes of a young woman named Celia Garth. Celia is an orphan of good background and works in a dressmaker’s shop in Charleston. She is a wonderful dressmaker herself and ends up sewing for a wealthy rebel woman in town. She is a girl who wants things to happen to her and once she meets this family things certainly do. During her adventures, Celia faces loss, love, and even finds herself part of Francis Marion’s (the infamous patriot Swamp Fox) spy ring. Bristow’s rich use of description and historical knowledge makes this a very engaging read. She paints a picture of what’s happening and what things look like without being so detailed that the book becomes boring. On the contrary, I consider this quite a page turner, and though it is quite an old book it is still my favorite. I would categorize this as historical fiction with a romantic subplot.

I was trying to classify this book after I read it and basicly I realized it didn't really fit perfectly into any one group. Truth be told there is a little bit of a lot of things in this book, and no one aspect totally takes over the book. I guess, given the positive reviews that is a good thing, I know I enjoyed it, and while I'd read it over again, I will say that it never got to the point where I'd consider it a favorite, which is why it's a four star read instead a five star. Everything about Celie Garth the book, and the character, is good, so things are great. The history in the book is wonderful, the "live" parts, those which Celia lives through like the siege on Charleston are not only informative, but also intersting. Those which happen off page but are relaid to her are also informative, but for their second hand account not as interesting, mainly because characters find out the result of then get the whole story, also these descriptions go on for a few pages and since they already happened it just kind of takes you out of the ongoing story a little bit. Still the fact that the environment of hte story was so active, made the plots that happened all the more interesting, nothing felt manufactured or forced, and at the end I felt the story had taken me somewhere and that I'd learned something. The characters were something great about hte story. Celia is a wonderful heroine. She's real, not perfect and oh so sweet, that everyone automaticly falls in love because she;s so great, she's a strong independent person, who is willing to work for what she gets and help those she loves. It is clear why the people in her life that love her do, and as for the people that don't fawn all over her, they also don't treat her like some abused gothic heroine, they either ignor her because they see themselves above her, or in the case of her cousin who is a loylist, they put up with her. The men in the story are also great, there are two love interests in the story and they are both very differnt, one is kind of a rock, a strong steady man who can be relied on, who remains good throughout and who never treats Celia badly. The other is an adventurer who carries around and quotes the bible, he's charming and strong but also honorable. In other words the author doesnt make it easy for us to decide which we like more by making one a vilian, both are worthy of Celia. The rest of the characters are great and multi demensional too. Vivian starts of as an imposing figure you assume the worst of but ultimately reveals herself as one of those steel spined southern ladys. Other people you meet also break out of their archtype casting to become fully fleshed. I think this a great book for teen girls because Celia is such a strong person. She is often faced with pressure to conform to what her relations think she should be, but that would mean giving up her indepenedence and forced to relay on their charity. She wants to make her own way, she wants to be responsible for her own success and failure because Celia knows that only when you are responsible for that can you control your life. It is a great message to girls about being the person you want to be, it is also a great message about America. Through out hte book Celia and her cousin Sophie are shown as foils of each other, Celia as a strong independent person who has ups and downs, but is never beaten because she is in charge of her life. Sophie meanwhile is completly dependent on her husband, and her friends for everything.

I loved this book! I ordered this book because we were going down to Charleston, SC for vacation. I love to read books that are set in the place we are going to visit. This book exceeded my expectations. We took a bus tour of Charleston and I felt like Celia was guiding my tour. I could understand how much our ancestors sacrificed for our freedom. I cried when I realized how much the original settlers gave up and lost to provide us with what we have today. I must confess that I did enjoy the love story part, making this book a great beach read. It was really nice to read about a woman who was strong, patriotic, loving and smart and used all those skills to serve her country. I would recommend this book to any young women who want to know how strong women in this country can be. I would also recommend this book for a plain and simple good history based read.

This is a fantastic book that describes, in detail, what it must have been like to live as a woman in Charleston during the Revolutionary War. Many others here have provided plot synopses, so I wont be too redundant. Having majored in History in college, I do remember thinking at one point during my reading "Why does she have food? The soldiers would have taken that to supply the army". Next thing I knew, there were the soldiers. One thing that really struck me about this book was how thoroughly un-modern the heroine was. She had her place as a woman within Colonial society, she knew what that place was and she made no attempt to deviate from her prescribed role, even when she was spying. The very end struck me as well. I thought that her realizations about the men she had loved was wise and very self aware. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Reading this felt dry and stilted with not much emotion. I felt I was being told the story without being allowed to experience it. I gave up within the first 25% of the book.

I loved reading this book.

"Celia Garth" ist nicht nur die Geschichte einer jungen Frau in den Südstaaten der USA zu Kolonialzeit, es ist eine fantastische Darstellung des Befreiungskrieges und ein Sittengemälde dieser Zeit. Gwen Bristols Schreibstil ist flüssig und man kann sich problemlos mit den Hauptpersonen identifizieren und mit Ihnen zusammen Geschichte lebendig werden lassen. Die Belagerung von Charleston, der Krieg im Untergrund gegen die englischen Besatzungsmacht und deren Sympathisanten (den Tories) sind aus meiner Sicht historisch korrekt wiedergegeben. Auch wenn die "Gut und Böse" Darstellung (Amerikaner gegen Engländer) recht plakativ erscheint, spiegelt sie gut den Zeitgeist wider. Nachdem in meiner Jugendzeit "Celia Garth" eines meiner Lieblingsbücher in deutscher Übersetzung war, habe ich es nun endlich auch im Original lesen können. Wer Geschichte Unterhaltsam erleben möchte, ist hier richtig.

This was a very nice e story to read with lots of history built in. I e inherit very my very much