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Bride of Fortune: A Novel Based on the Life of Mrs. Jefferson Davis
Novel about Varina Howell, the wife of Jefferson Davis.
No woman in America ever lived a life like that of vivid Varina Howell Davis, the First Lady of the Confederacy, "Queen of the Lost Cause." Born an aristocrat in cotton-rich Natchez on the Mississippi, she left her home at eighteen to face an uncertain future as the wife of an enigmatic country man, Jefferson Davis -- and to embark on a swift, kaleidoscopic career such as she had never dreamed of.
At his side she rose to eminence in the turbulent years that brought was between North and South. She knew giddy triumph -- the tinseled success of a great beauty, a triumphant woman of the world of Washington, D.C. She knew sudden ups and downs -- defeat, sorrow, loss, and retirement to her river plantation.
Then, again, came a swift rise to rank higher than before -- that of a Cabinet wife, with the country's decisions being made all around her, and a part for her in the making. For a time it seemed that the White House of Washington would be her eventual home. Again, a step downward, and then up again, to the rank of the Confederacy's Lustrous Lady. Dazzling days again, and then trial and defeat -- the black hours of a fugitive, her husband facing death. In these hours she became a great personage, a human being fighting for survival: and she won.
Above all, Bride of Fortune is the story of a woman in love -- a portrait of a passionate, warm-hearted woman who never faltered in her devotion. For Varina and Jefferson Davis it was one long love affair. Here is a picture of modern America in the making, of Washington and wartime Richmond from inside; and the story of the woman behind the man in the spotlight.
No conventional crinolined miss, Varina was a firm-spirited, firm-minded woman who knew what she wanted her life to be and waded forth to make it that way. Some hated her; others loved her; nobody was ever neutral. And all about her moved the great of her day -- Presidents, grand dames, plantation owners, Cuban revolutionaries, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee.
Here is a rich and moving story, a superbly readable one, a remarkable evocation of the native South. Harnett T. Kane, who has never written a book that wasn't a best seller, outdoes all his other successes, bringing to surging life the vivid-hued Richmond: gay-hearted Natchez on the river; lush New Orleans of the Creoles, and Washington, capital of the nation when its life was at stake.
No woman in America ever lived a life like that of vivid Varina Howell Davis, the First Lady of the Confederacy, "Queen of the Lost Cause." Born an aristocrat in cotton-rich Natchez on the Mississippi, she left her home at eighteen to face an uncertain future as the wife of an enigmatic country man, Jefferson Davis -- and to embark on a swift, kaleidoscopic career such as she had never dreamed of.
At his side she rose to eminence in the turbulent years that brought was between North and South. She knew giddy triumph -- the tinseled success of a great beauty, a triumphant woman of the world of Washington, D.C. She knew sudden ups and downs -- defeat, sorrow, loss, and retirement to her river plantation.
Then, again, came a swift rise to rank higher than before -- that of a Cabinet wife, with the country's decisions being made all around her, and a part for her in the making. For a time it seemed that the White House of Washington would be her eventual home. Again, a step downward, and then up again, to the rank of the Confederacy's Lustrous Lady. Dazzling days again, and then trial and defeat -- the black hours of a fugitive, her husband facing death. In these hours she became a great personage, a human being fighting for survival: and she won.
Above all, Bride of Fortune is the story of a woman in love -- a portrait of a passionate, warm-hearted woman who never faltered in her devotion. For Varina and Jefferson Davis it was one long love affair. Here is a picture of modern America in the making, of Washington and wartime Richmond from inside; and the story of the woman behind the man in the spotlight.
No conventional crinolined miss, Varina was a firm-spirited, firm-minded woman who knew what she wanted her life to be and waded forth to make it that way. Some hated her; others loved her; nobody was ever neutral. And all about her moved the great of her day -- Presidents, grand dames, plantation owners, Cuban revolutionaries, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee.
Here is a rich and moving story, a superbly readable one, a remarkable evocation of the native South. Harnett T. Kane, who has never written a book that wasn't a best seller, outdoes all his other successes, bringing to surging life the vivid-hued Richmond: gay-hearted Natchez on the river; lush New Orleans of the Creoles, and Washington, capital of the nation when its life was at stake.
301 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1948
2 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Harnett T. Kane
52 books10 followersHarnett Thomas Kane was a journalist and author of books about the American South. A 1931 graduate of Tulane University, he was a longtime reporters for the New Orleans Item, and he wrote travel articles and book reviews for a variety of publications.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 28, 2015
Amazingly informative and enjoyable.
Would love to have had both Jesse Benton Fremont (1824-1902, m. 1841) and Varina Davis (1826-1906 m. 1845) over for tea so the two could meet. THey were living parallel lives and were often in Washington City at the same time.
Both were young women with fathers who had no problem with them being smart and educating themselves. Both had important roles in assisting their husbands. Both had husbands who helped to open the West to settlement and who got exceedingly close to being the U.S. President. (John Fremont was the first Republican presidential candidate, paving the way for Lincoln's presidency four years later; Jeff Davis ends up president of the Confederate States of America.) Further, both husbands were instrumental in getting the primary general for his side in the Civil War. (Fremont, as the head of the Army of the West , gives Grant his first major command; Davis, as Commander in Chief of the Confederacy, appoints Lee the top commander for his side.)
Interesting note about Lee--slavery was not an issue for him, he'd already freed his own slaves. Coming across a fact like this could support the argument that slavery was not the real cause of the Civil War. THis would be incorrect, since Lee's siding with the Confederacy--in my view--had to do with personal reasons.
Lee explains his going with the South with the statement that he can't raise his sword against his state. I'm thinking the real reason Lee had to stay with the South was that if he were to go with the Union, he would have to leave--immediately--his home and friends in Virginia. And, the real deal breaker, his beloved and invalided wife would immediately have to leave her home and friends.
Interesting that Jeff Davis is one of the kindest of slave masters and actually uses a slave as an overseer.
But as the debates of the 1850's go on, and passions are raised on both sides, you start to feel like you are watching disputes between reasonable people and ISIS-type fanatics. As for a terrorism parallel, many whites in the South terrorized Black people into the 1960s and beyond! Often with police protection!
Finally, can't help but see a similarity in the rigidity of all those who claim "States' RIghts" today and the politicians of the Old Confederacy.
Would love to have had both Jesse Benton Fremont (1824-1902, m. 1841) and Varina Davis (1826-1906 m. 1845) over for tea so the two could meet. THey were living parallel lives and were often in Washington City at the same time.
Both were young women with fathers who had no problem with them being smart and educating themselves. Both had important roles in assisting their husbands. Both had husbands who helped to open the West to settlement and who got exceedingly close to being the U.S. President. (John Fremont was the first Republican presidential candidate, paving the way for Lincoln's presidency four years later; Jeff Davis ends up president of the Confederate States of America.) Further, both husbands were instrumental in getting the primary general for his side in the Civil War. (Fremont, as the head of the Army of the West , gives Grant his first major command; Davis, as Commander in Chief of the Confederacy, appoints Lee the top commander for his side.)
Interesting note about Lee--slavery was not an issue for him, he'd already freed his own slaves. Coming across a fact like this could support the argument that slavery was not the real cause of the Civil War. THis would be incorrect, since Lee's siding with the Confederacy--in my view--had to do with personal reasons.
Lee explains his going with the South with the statement that he can't raise his sword against his state. I'm thinking the real reason Lee had to stay with the South was that if he were to go with the Union, he would have to leave--immediately--his home and friends in Virginia. And, the real deal breaker, his beloved and invalided wife would immediately have to leave her home and friends.
Interesting that Jeff Davis is one of the kindest of slave masters and actually uses a slave as an overseer.
But as the debates of the 1850's go on, and passions are raised on both sides, you start to feel like you are watching disputes between reasonable people and ISIS-type fanatics. As for a terrorism parallel, many whites in the South terrorized Black people into the 1960s and beyond! Often with police protection!
Finally, can't help but see a similarity in the rigidity of all those who claim "States' RIghts" today and the politicians of the Old Confederacy.
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January 22, 2009This book is a what I consider a fictional biography of Varina Howell Davis. She was the wife of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy. I was highly impressed by the amount of research, and first-hand sources that went into the writing of the book. Ten years of research, studying diaries, letters, etc., visiting all of the places in the book, interviewing surviving family members; all combined to make a novel with a very real sense of setting and character. The book was well written, and carried me along swiftly, I finished it off today while I should have been cleaning the house, and finishing Christmas preparations. I gained a new appreciation for the ideals, admirable personages, and struggles of the south during this time. Growing up in Idaho, and with all of my ancestors coming from Northern states, I'm afraid I haven't given much thought to the the views that led the southern states to succeed. The book was very much a view of Jefferson Davis, through the eyes of his wife. I would have appreciated a bit more insight into the life of the family, and more said about the couples children, but the book was written by a man who was trying to stay very true to the facts he had before him, and, presumably, not much was written about the children.
August 5, 2014
A friend loaned me a copy of this novel, I read it and immediately purchased two copies: one for my shelf and one to loan to friends. The story is well-researched, gently fictionalized, and a real pleasure to read.
The author presents what many biographies of Varina Davis fear to show: a woman with a sensitive spirit, femininely strong character, and love that overcame every trial.
A lovely and thought-provoking story!
The author presents what many biographies of Varina Davis fear to show: a woman with a sensitive spirit, femininely strong character, and love that overcame every trial.
A lovely and thought-provoking story!
August 25, 2015
A good read about a woman I knew next-to-nothing about. Some excellent depictions of what life in the South was like during the Civil War, especially from a woman's perspective. Before Jackie Kennedy set out to create the legacy image of JFK there was Varina Howell Davis...
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July 28, 2008This is such a sweet book. I love it!
August 26, 2020
First off, I want to commend Harnett T. Kane for the amount of research he did to understand the historical setting, debates, and attitudes towards opposing groups during the civil war. It is clear that Kane researched Varina Davis' letters thoroughly in order to accurately portray the Jefferson family's personal and professional triumphs and struggles.
However, I found myself disappointed that this novel did not continue after Mr. Jefferson's death. Instead, this historical-fiction novel mostly portrays a fictional ideal of Southern women and a wife in the late 1940s to early 1950s. Therefore, Varina is portrayed as someone whose sole purpose is to serve her husband and make him happy, rather than her own character.
The real Varina Davis was a lot more interesting than her husband. She believed in equal rights between a husband and wife, and it is also possible that Varina was actually mulatto, not "tanned" as Kane describes it. Varina did indeed love her husband and was devoted to him, but any historian would agree that their marriage was not perfect.
After his death, she became a journalist with her youngest child and set up a facility to house veterans and their families. Later on in her life, she confessed in print that the right side had won the civil war and became a big advocate for reconciliation.
One of the most disappointing things in the book was Annabelle's character. At one point, Varina asks her about what she thinks about freedom, to which she responds she is too old and implies she will stay by her mistresses' side. In real life, Varina's maid was actually a woman named Betsey, who saved money with her husband and escaped the Jefferson's plantation with other domestic servants. What I found so strange is that Jimmy Limber existed in both real life and the book, so why not Betsey? The reason is because Kane wanted to portray Varina and Jefferson as "good" slave owners who had loyal servants, instead of revealing the true horrors of slavery.
The reason why Varina Davis is so interesting is because it is a story about a strong, active woman who was on the wrong side of history and was suppressed by the men in her life. She was not perfect, she made mistakes too like forbidding her daughter's engagement to an abolitionist. But Varina became one of the most bravest Southern figures in confederation because she was able to break out of her shell. Unfortunately, although her strength is foreshadowed, the readers do not get to experience this change.
However, I found myself disappointed that this novel did not continue after Mr. Jefferson's death. Instead, this historical-fiction novel mostly portrays a fictional ideal of Southern women and a wife in the late 1940s to early 1950s. Therefore, Varina is portrayed as someone whose sole purpose is to serve her husband and make him happy, rather than her own character.
The real Varina Davis was a lot more interesting than her husband. She believed in equal rights between a husband and wife, and it is also possible that Varina was actually mulatto, not "tanned" as Kane describes it. Varina did indeed love her husband and was devoted to him, but any historian would agree that their marriage was not perfect.
After his death, she became a journalist with her youngest child and set up a facility to house veterans and their families. Later on in her life, she confessed in print that the right side had won the civil war and became a big advocate for reconciliation.
One of the most disappointing things in the book was Annabelle's character. At one point, Varina asks her about what she thinks about freedom, to which she responds she is too old and implies she will stay by her mistresses' side. In real life, Varina's maid was actually a woman named Betsey, who saved money with her husband and escaped the Jefferson's plantation with other domestic servants. What I found so strange is that Jimmy Limber existed in both real life and the book, so why not Betsey? The reason is because Kane wanted to portray Varina and Jefferson as "good" slave owners who had loyal servants, instead of revealing the true horrors of slavery.
The reason why Varina Davis is so interesting is because it is a story about a strong, active woman who was on the wrong side of history and was suppressed by the men in her life. She was not perfect, she made mistakes too like forbidding her daughter's engagement to an abolitionist. But Varina became one of the most bravest Southern figures in confederation because she was able to break out of her shell. Unfortunately, although her strength is foreshadowed, the readers do not get to experience this change.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
This novel - historical fiction - is definitely a book of its time (1948), and it doesn't pretend to be more. Well researched and well written, the story ends just as Varina Howell Davis' husband, Jefferson Davis, is released from prison after the Civil War. Reading the book enhanced my perspective of life in the south 1845-1865 and complexities of political decisions. I don't consider it "pro-South" or "anti-South" though it did portray Varina Davis in a positive light throughout. I am interested in seeking out other books by the author.
July 28, 2014
Just finished this book--about Varina Howell Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis. Being of Southern heritage, it was "necessary" to read the book. While being historical fiction (because, of course, no one can know exactly what Varina may have said to Jeff), it just seemed to be a book all about "how wonderful I am, Varina Howell Davis, wife of the President of the Confederacy." I guess when the book was first published in 1948 it suited readers more. Sigh….
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May 30, 2008This book is repugnant. It is a fictionalized account of the life of Jefferson Davis's wife, and it mostly suggests that slaves were much better off in slavery than free.
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July 24, 200892D
September 4, 2010
This is a wonderful story of Jefferson Davis and his Bride, Varina. If you are interested in the Civil War, you will enjoy this. Seen through Varina's eyes.
September 17, 2019
I loved this book. Just read the blurb below and you'll get the gist of the story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews