The last days of Dogtown

Set in the early 1800s and based loosely on published accounts of an abandoned rural backwater near the Massachusetts coastline, 'The Last Days of Dogtown' reimagines and reinvents the stories of a small group of eccentrics and misfits - reputedly the last residents of the ghost town.

The tiny rural backwater of Dogtown nestled on Cape Ann and hugging the Massachusetts coast line, is a place that is reputedly dying, but its few remaining inhabitants show an enduring spirit that keeps a small flame of life alight. For here, in this forgotten hamlet, lives a cast of dignified, yet utterly eccentric characters. Black Ruth is one of only two Africans still living in the area; she dresses as a man, speaks to no-one, and continues her craft as the local stonemason, casting love and care over the stones she hews. Mrs Stanley is blousey, blonde and the local madam; a woman of total self-absorption, who cares nothing for her young grandson, coming of age amid the sights and sounds of a wretched rural brothel. Oliver Younger, a man with ambition, overcomes a cruel and miserable childhood to marry the woman of his dreams and create a family infused with love. At the centre of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent woman, generous and wise, but also heartbroken and lonely, whose taboo love for Cornelius, a former slave, burns at the core of her soul. Loosely based on the true story of a community, The Last Days of Dogtown is a rich, compassionate and compelling novel which illuminates a small, but vivid, chapter of nineteenth century America.

Author(s):

Diamant, Anita

Condition:

Very good

Format:

Paperback

ISBN-10:

0330491679

Publisher:

Pan Books