Basil Everman: Exploring Family, Community, and Identity in Early 20th Century America

by Elsie Singmaster

Set in Waltonville, a small town in the aftermath of the Civil War. The novel revolves around Mrs Lister, her son Richard Lister, who is graduating from the college, and Dr. Green, a former student of Walton College who has returned as a physician. The town is depicted as quiet and traditional, with class distinctions and little interaction with the outside world. Dr. Green is described as a serious and self-educated man, while Richard Lister's mother is a middle-aged woman who adheres to the dress code of her time.

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 9, 2019

About the author

Married name Lewars

Reviews

[J. Boo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basil, dead twenty years, has had his writings rediscovered and, on the basis of a handful of published stories, is hailed as a genius. This sits ill with his sister, who fears the taint of scandal. In the small college town where he grew up, his nephew has just graduated, and begins making eyes at a female classmate of perhaps-undetermined parentage.

I would've liked to have given this a higher rating -- Singmaster really does write well, and is entertainingly scathing about the full-of-himself journalist and the similarly full-of-herself faculty wife/social climber, but the subplot about the sister's fears that Bad Things will be revealed about her brother isn't nearly convincing enough. There's also a bit too much of people --particularly the two lovers -- holding information back from one another, for no compelling reason other than to provide a bit of drama.

Available on Gutenberg.