A Family of Women

September 1, 1999
This family biography draws on the letters and diaries of three generations of Petigru women to trace their changing fortunes throughout much of the 19th century. While the Civil War profoundly influenced their lives, it is clear that the antebellum period was not always idyllic. Precarious finances, early marriage, frequent childbearing, and various social constraints all had an impact. Several of these women, for example, were forced to assume male management roles or become economically self-sufficient. Historians Jane and William Pease have written several books on the Charleston area, among them a biography of the namesake of this family, James Louis Petigru, Southern Conservative, Southern Dissenter. Recommended for academic and large public libraries as well as women's studies collections.--Patricia A. Beaber, Coll. of New Jersey Lib., Ewing

Copyright 1999 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.