Creole Holiday

by Phyllis A. Whitney

Laure is the daughter of the great Shakespearean actor of the 1890s, Jules Beaudine, but she has been raised in the home of her straightlaced Aunt Judith. When her father's company is playing in New York, Laure ambushes him in his dressing room, to tell him that she's an adult and wants to live on her own. To defuse the situation, Jules takes Laure with him on holiday to New Orleans. There she gets to know her Creole grandmother and spends a great deal of time visiting with her in the old French Quarter. In the gracious southern home of her father's friends, Laure meets Cole Drummond."

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Gothic

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Phyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".

She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.

Reviews

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good ole Whitney read for my summer scabble challenge. I like to hang out with an old gothic in between reads at times. I do have this one used in a hardback and it's very short. I needed a "y" (author or title) for my challenge so I actually did pick it bc it was short. I looked at my gothic bookshelf in the spare-oom and thought, "This will do nicely!"

And it did. A nice distraction over two days between suspense/thrillers. Not her best..but it's fair. I usually rate just fair books about a 2.5 but it is PW, so I am going with a , bc I have loved her since my mom started reading her when I was young. I like the setting, of course. I live near NOLA and have been many times. It was fun to visit there in this book

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

After her mother died, Lauré, the daughter of famous actor Jules Beaudine, grew up with a strict maternal aunt in late 1800s New York City. Lauré wants nothing more than to follow her father's footsteps into acting. She memorizes entire portions of Shakespeare's plays from a treasured volume her father sent behind her watchful aunt's back. At age eighteen her aunt seizes the volume. When the aunt goes out, Lauré storms to the theater in which her father currently is engaged. Her resolve earns her a trip with her father to his ancestral New Orleans where she was born. They stay with a friend in the Garden district because his family refuses to have anything to do with him. Will things changes? Lauré soon finds herself swept up in the parties of Carnival season. She meets two young men. Her impropriety on Mardi Gras sets the stage for the the book's climactic moments. Whitney's mastery of character, setting, and plot pacing make this an enjoyable read from start to finish. While I'm certain I read this as a teen, I did not remember the plot and found myself enjoying the story and my own memories of New Orleans as the characters wandered the streets. This novella lacked some of the darker aspects found in many of Whitney's novels, but it fit the situation.

[J.C. Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last time I read this, I was 14. (I know because I wrote the date on the inside cover.) But it still holds up, even if it's a bit old-fashioned. And of course, I'm always interested in books with a Louisiana backdrop.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who lives in New Orleans, I thought descriptions were pretty accurate. Since it was written in 1959, I expected more of the longing for the old South feel, but was pleasantly surprised to read a comment by a character about feeling bad that the plantation house had been built by slaves.

Fairly predictable, 50’s YA.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I thought this was going to be a mystery, so there was a bit of disappointment there. The history of New Orleans and life there in the late 1800s was interesting. But I had a hard time connecting with the characters.

[Deane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book I read as a young person - for some reason I'm really leaning into this. My mom had this book from a friend who read zillions of Harlequin-type romance books and I snagged it to read when I was 12 or so. Not super well written but fine, story doesn't set the world on fire, but again - I have a lifelong love of New Orleans that I can trace directly to this book (and several trips there). It was fun to read descriptions of places I've been from the perspective of the early 1900s.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay.