On Leaving Charleston

Charleston #2

by Alexandra Ripley

From the waning glory of the Old South...

The plantation house, the lands, the golden traditions of Ashley Barony made it the pride of Charleston. But its fortunes fell violently, irrevocably, on Margaret Garden Tradd's scandalous wedding day.

To the wild razzle-dazzle of the jazz age....

From an ugly duckling love child, Garden Tradd became the glorious belle her mother, Margaret, had longed to be. Garden's marriage to the dashing Yankee, Sky Harris, was a triumph -- the match of a decade.

With breathtaking abandon and dazzling innocence, she danced through Paris, London, and New York as the twenties roared...until betrayal turned the glitter to bitter ash....until vengeful secrets of the past sent her home to Charleston--a city waiting to embrace its own or exact its own very special revenge.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical Romance, Fiction, Historical, Southern, Civil War

574 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Alexandra Ripley was an American writer best known as the author of Scarlett, the sequel to Gone with the Wind. Her first novel was Who's the Lady in the President's Bed?. Charleston, her first historical novel, was a bestseller, as were her next books On Leaving Charleston, The Time Returns, and New Orleans Legacy. Scarlett received some bad reviews, but was very successful nonetheless. She attended the elite Ashley Hall, in Charleston, South Carolina, and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

She died in Richmond, Virginia, and is survived by two daughters from her first marriage to Leonard Ripley, a son in law and granddaughter, Alexandra Elizabeth.

Ripley has also published works under the name B.K. Ripley.

Reviews

[Sara Jo Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the rare occasions where the sequel was better than the original!

The reason I liked this one more was because it was not as predictable as the first one. In the original "Charleston", I could practically see when danger was coming. I knew what was coming and when it was going to come. Still enjoyed it, but was not the same in this enthralling sequel.

This book was a prime example of some SERIOUS girl on girl hate. Namely a mother in law against a daughter in law who really didn't deserve it.

Take a trip into the dawn of the Roaring 20's! Women were liberated in some ways, still trapped in other ways. I loved the non-fictional references to certain aspects of pop culture during the time period, and the fact that this story took place on more than one backdrop...the US and Europe.

There is one character, the most VILE character. A character that was a mere child in the first book. Vicki.

Vicki grows up as a socialite and marries some Italian prince in New York city and is referred to as the "princepessa". Her son marries the daughter of a Charlestonian widow. The princepessa has a deep hatred for her daughter in law's family for something that happened almost 2 generations ago, and allows her son to marry into the family only to be able to get close enough to ruin the girls life. The actions that caused the need for vengeance happened before the daughter in law was even born. It was ridiculous!

However, like all evil, vile antagonists, all good things must come to an end. Although most characters meet a demise of some type if the story is good enough. I must tell you that the ending of this story is really a doozie...one that creates relief of magnificent proportions in the mind of the reader, but also has a bit of a comical aspect that I do not think the author intended.

I really wish this book was made into a movie. It was just so surprising! Highly recommend this story.

I've run out of historical fiction to read for now. Until I find my next adventure in time, I have started a thriller that came recommended to me by a trusted colleague.

Happy reading.

[BarbaraW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kills off lots of people. Lol. Main character is developed well and goes through a lot in her short life. The only good thing about ruthless people is they bring color to the plot. The selection of turn of the century into the 20s and 30s makes for an interesting twist. I’ve read a few of this author’s books and I luv Charleston and went to Ashley Hall.

[Dorothy]

A great book of the South in the early 1900's.
A story of how the blood lines of persons were more important
than the amount of money they may have.
A young Southern 17 year old girl marries a man from a family
with money and goes to live in Europe and lives a very wild
life. The mother does not approve of her because she had lived
in Charleston as a child also and was in love with this girl's
father but did not marry him. Revenge is very prominate in the
telling this story.
I really enjoyed this story as I adore all love stories from the
South back in that time frame.
I would recommend to all who loved Gone With The Wind and similar
books. I do not live in the South nor have I traveled there.

[Sandi Niemeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seldom have I read a book twice in a row, but this one I did. I enjoyed this story, it really struck a chord for me. It probably isn't everyone's cup of tea. It has faults, but it is a very good read!

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I save this and pull it out to reread every few years.

[ANGELIA · Rating 1 out of 5]

Leaving this book was the best thing I did! I can't believe all the good reviews, was I reading the same book???

Pages and pages of spoiled wealthy people drinking, dancing the Charleston (naturally), shoving coke up their noses and bed hopping. How fascinating! (YAWN!!)

I guess it never occurred to this author that not everyone in the 1920's spent their time partying and hanging out at speakeasies. The stereotypes and cliches about this era are unbelievable, not everyone lived like Scott and Zelda (and I'm willing to bet their stories were exaggerated as well). Why not show some originality for a change?

I thought the H in this story was a real jerk, and the h a real airhead, so I couldn't care less if they got a HEA or a tragic ending.

DNF

[Janet B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books are the written equivalent of comfort food, and this is one of them. I have had this book (and the other one in the series, simply titled Charleston) for about 30 odd years now, and it is one of many I turn to during the colder months, which I've mentioned before, is my time to get cozy with old friends.
Read this if you enjoy books about the south and the world in general during the early part of the 20th century. Read this if you like books where people succeed against the personal odds stacked against them. Read this if you love the fashions of the 1920s. The characters will become part of your reading history, never to be forgotten

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t decide between 4 or 5 stars for this — the story was great, despite being very drawn out, but what really made this closer to 5 is that I just thoroughly enjoyed it.

Incredible descriptions of Charleston and different types of people, of the 1920’s and 30’s, fashion, addiction, family, love. It was everything you want in a family saga.

Highly recommend Alexandra Ripley. I think Scarlet is a MUST at some point this year.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was flabbergasted that she killed off like 90% of the new characters. But as the book progressed you see why she did it. All those people had to die for Margaret and Garden to have the lives they did.

[Lucia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zbohom Charleston 2

[Marilyn Vermeulen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! So many twists and turns, and interesting characters.

[S Ninn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying. A true Southern Gothic tale. Well done!

[Elizabeth Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is the sequel to another Ripley tome, which I had to read immediately because the first book ends on a cliffhanger. And I almost put this down more than once, because the cliffhanger doesn't end for the first 300 pages of this one. I fumed and raged and read on, because I couldnt give up hope.. And I was vindicated. This is a tremendously satisfying and salacious sequel to the first Charleston book, if you can forgive the ridiculous narrative structure and prolonged cliffhanger. Ripley loves to write female characters who find themselves in dire straits and pull through, reinvent themselves and make you proud of them. I recommend her fiction because it is delicious narrative and descriptive candy beach reading, but with a feminist backbone that strikes a deeper emotional chord enough that I am drawn to reread. Unusually inspirational trash reading, (see also Judith Krantz, Judy blume's summer sisters)

[Scarlett Rue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I totally reccomend it to anyone looking for a family saga that starts just after the Civil War and spans to just after Prohibition. Locations in Charleston, London, France, and New York.

Since I haven't read it in years, I can't remember names, but I do know that once you start it you won't be able to put it down.

It follows a woman from birth to her thirties.

It would take too long to give a synopsis, all I can say is if you like Historical Fiction, set in that time frame, you would love this book!

I only wish that it was both available in e-book format and the audiobook isn't abridged.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alexandra Ripley has a gift for describing the beauty of the south. I didn't enjoy the story line as much as I thought I would. In the first 70 pages you enjoy 8 new characters, then she kills off 7 of 'em! It seemed like killing off the troublemakers was her way of taking care of the difficulties, which was kind of boring. It was, however, a nice light read that took almost no concentration to stay into; which is great when I'm trying to escape into a book for 10 min at a time.

[Paula Mccallum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction is my genre! This covered, not only my beloved adopted home of SC, but the fascinating events of the first third of the 20th century (the South, still recovering from the wohwah [civil war] and adjusting to a new way of life, the dawning of the age of the automobile, electric lights & the telephone, the roaring 20's, the Europe of F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald & Ernest Hemingway (a seriously fast crowd

[Rosslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1920's are often skipped in the world of romance, not so in this wonderful novel that covers this time period elegantly and realistically. This is one story that is full of historical facts. The author gives the reader a refreshingly accurate depiction of life as a 1920's flapper, a lifestyle which she shows was not without its repercussions.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all the other Ripley books I have read, this one had a rushed ending that came abruptly. Talk about deux machina too. I enjoyed reading about the time period, but didn't like how they ended Garden and Sky. Nor did I care for all the Charleston rules stuff. I could have gotten over my dislikes more if the ending were stronger. Not a bad read, but it could have been a great one.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the overall plot idea, but I feel the story had too much extraneous information and could have been executed much better. It actually felt like two stories smushed together, the first one having very little to do with the second. The ending was also very abrupt, in which the bad guy conveniently was killed, and the heroines father (unbeknownst to her) returns from the dead.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. LOVED it. Absolutely loved it.
I am a big Charleston fan, so anything about the city is just a joy for me. I fell in love with the characters. You need to read Ripley's first book about Charleston before this one, tho.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this the first time way back when I heard she was going to write the sequel to 'Gone with the Wind'.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read.You fall in love with the characters and you also hate the evil mother inlaw..Hard to put down and you feel sad when the story ends.Not that ends badly it's just you miss the characters and the story.

[Lori Baldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and need to re-read it soon. This was the first book I read by Ripley and have been a fan ever since. I love the time period of the 20s and the main character was exciting. This is a keeper!

[Raye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one that was great! I was happy with how it turned out but really got mad at some of the charectors in her book. That's how you can tell it is a good book-how invloved you get with the people.

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one that I remember nothing about except that I really liked it at the time, "the time" being high school or maybe even junior high.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got into the main character. I could relate to her feelings of displacement. Read it straight through.

[Meghan Weaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, for once I did not feel like Ripley left me flat and unfulfilled.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favorite books. It's about to fall apart because I have read it so many times! It's just a fun read!

[+*ashley*+ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book so many times and still do not get tired of it.