And Ladies of the Club
Encyclopedia
"...And Ladies of the Club" is a novel
, written by Helen Hooven Santmyer
, about a group of women in the fictional town of Waynesboro
, Ohio
who begin a study club, which evolves through the years into a significant community service organization in the town.
The book, which looks at the club as it changes throughout the years, spans decades in the lives of the women involved in the club, between 1868 and 1932. Many characters are introduced in the course of the novel, but the primary characters are Anne Gordon and Sally Rausch, who in 1868 are new graduates of the Waynesboro Female College who soon marry, and the decades that follow chronicle their marriages and those of their children and grandchildren. Santmyer focuses not just on the lives of the women in the Club, but also their families, friends, politics, and developments in their small town and the larger world.
Originally published by the Ohio State University Press
in 1982 and only selling a few hundred copies, the book was chosen as a Book of the Month Club
selection in 1984, making it a best-seller that year. The recognition earned its 88-year-old author critical acclaim and literary recognition; according to the back cover of the 1985 paperback edition, the novel took Santmyer more than 50 years to write.
As of 2011, the book on Amazon.com, is highly rated by seventy-two readers, sixty-two of which gave the book five stars, and ten giving it four stars. The work also earned significant accolades from reviewers alike, and reach the number 1 best seller position on the New York Times weekly list of book sales.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, written by Helen Hooven Santmyer
Helen Hooven Santmyer
Helen Hooven Santmyer was an American writer.She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Xenia, Ohio when she was five years old. She went to Wellesley College in 1918 and was active in the struggle for women's rights. She attended Oxford University in England...
, about a group of women in the fictional town of Waynesboro
Waynesboro
Waynesboro is the name of some places in the United States of America:*Waynesboro, Virginia*Waynesboro, Pennsylvania*Waynesboro, Georgia*Waynesboro, Mississippi*Waynesboro, Tennessee...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
who begin a study club, which evolves through the years into a significant community service organization in the town.
The book, which looks at the club as it changes throughout the years, spans decades in the lives of the women involved in the club, between 1868 and 1932. Many characters are introduced in the course of the novel, but the primary characters are Anne Gordon and Sally Rausch, who in 1868 are new graduates of the Waynesboro Female College who soon marry, and the decades that follow chronicle their marriages and those of their children and grandchildren. Santmyer focuses not just on the lives of the women in the Club, but also their families, friends, politics, and developments in their small town and the larger world.
Originally published by the Ohio State University Press
Ohio State University Press
The Ohio State University Press, founded in 1957, is a university press and a part of The Ohio State University.-External links:*...
in 1982 and only selling a few hundred copies, the book was chosen as a Book of the Month Club
Book of the Month Club
The Book of the Month Club is a United States mail-order book sales club that offers a new book each month to customers.The Book of the Month Club is part of a larger company that runs many book clubs in the United States and Canada. It was formerly the flagship club of Book-of-the-Month Club, Inc...
selection in 1984, making it a best-seller that year. The recognition earned its 88-year-old author critical acclaim and literary recognition; according to the back cover of the 1985 paperback edition, the novel took Santmyer more than 50 years to write.
As of 2011, the book on Amazon.com, is highly rated by seventy-two readers, sixty-two of which gave the book five stars, and ten giving it four stars. The work also earned significant accolades from reviewers alike, and reach the number 1 best seller position on the New York Times weekly list of book sales.