First published 1951
The Loftis family is gathered to mourn the loss of their daughter Peyton. As they await her coffin, the novel journeys into the past, revealing the web of lies, betrayals, and tragedies that led to her untimely demise. Peyton's suicide casts a shadow over the family, forcing them to confront the rot at the heart of their once-proud lineage. This post-war saga lays bare the human condition in all its flawed, desperate glory, as neither society, family, nor faith can save Peyton from the abyss.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: tragic-hero, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Virginia, Southern States
Period: Post-War
400 pages · Hardcover · Jonathan Cape Ltd
Content warnings: depression, suicide