What do you think?
Rate this book
The Horns of Capricorn
Linda Neary Keeling, living with her two daughters, Frances and Taffy, a life of genteel poverty in Baltimore, inherited her childhood home in North Carolina and returned to take possession of the house and a small fortune. But Lydia inherited more than a fortune, for across the river were the Cavitts, bitter enemies of the Nearys for two generations. Frances and Taffy were prepared by Lydia to perpetuate the enmity, but Cavitt's young sons, Foxworth and Zachary, had different ideas. One for love and one for money, the pursued the Keeling daughters when Lydia's back was turned. Zachary's wife Tulia, brought up in Paris, did not interfere with the pursuit of Keeling money to invest in a cigarette factory, but she deeply resented her brother-in-law's suit for the love of a Keeling daughter. Tulia's infatuation for Fox strengthened her determination to possess him - or ruthlessly destroy him - and she bided her time with the tenacity of an experienced woman who is confident of ultimate success. To the resolution of this situation Helen Topping Miller brings her finest talent for writing historical fiction. A dramatic new story of love and adventure.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1950
About the author
Helen Topping Miller
110 books5 followersHelen Topping Miller was born December 8, 1884 in Fenton, Michigan, the eldest of eight children. Under the influence of her literary mother, she began writing children’s stories for St. Nicholas Magazine when she was fifteen. She went on to attend Michigan State College and graduated in 1905.
She taught for two years in rural and city schools before her family moved to Fremont, Ohio. In 1908 they moved to Morristown, Tennessee. Two years later on June 16, 1910, she married Frank Roger Miller, the owner of a newspaper and later executive of the United States Chamber of Commerce.
In 1918 the Millers moved to Macon, Georgia and over the following years Helen would begin to write the first of 11 serial stories that were published in a variety of national magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping and McCall’s. During this time she also taught modern fiction writing at Mercer University.
Beginning in 1924 the Millers made the first of several moves which that included Asheville, Washington, and Dallas. In 1939 they bought an antebellum mansion built around 1857, in Talbott, Tennessee named the Watkins-Witt House. It had been used by both the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War as a command post and hospital. Confederate General James Longstreet was among its guests for a night. Mrs. Miller named it “ArrowHill” for the mountain retreat she and her husband had owned in Asheville. One of her historical Christmas stories entitled No Tears For Christmas is based on the 1863 holiday at ArrowHill. Though her husband died in 1944, she would live there until 1958.
During her lifetime Mrs. Miller wrote over 300 short stories and more than 40 books,mostly historical romance in nature, and many dealing with the Reconstruction period in the South. Her children’s books include a Christmas series with such titles as Christmas at Monticello with Thomas Jefferson,Christmas at Mount Vernon with George and Martha Washington, and Christmas with Robert E. Lee.
She has been quoted as saying, “To me the unchanging loveliness of the holy days is proof of the unchanging love of God.”
Helen Topping Miller died on February 4, 1960 at age seventy-five and is buried in Morristown, Tennessee.
First Book –Sharon (1931): Sharon
Last Book - A Sound of Chariots (1994): A Sound of Chariots
Source: http://library.cn.edu/speccoll/miller...
She taught for two years in rural and city schools before her family moved to Fremont, Ohio. In 1908 they moved to Morristown, Tennessee. Two years later on June 16, 1910, she married Frank Roger Miller, the owner of a newspaper and later executive of the United States Chamber of Commerce.
In 1918 the Millers moved to Macon, Georgia and over the following years Helen would begin to write the first of 11 serial stories that were published in a variety of national magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping and McCall’s. During this time she also taught modern fiction writing at Mercer University.
Beginning in 1924 the Millers made the first of several moves which that included Asheville, Washington, and Dallas. In 1939 they bought an antebellum mansion built around 1857, in Talbott, Tennessee named the Watkins-Witt House. It had been used by both the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War as a command post and hospital. Confederate General James Longstreet was among its guests for a night. Mrs. Miller named it “ArrowHill” for the mountain retreat she and her husband had owned in Asheville. One of her historical Christmas stories entitled No Tears For Christmas is based on the 1863 holiday at ArrowHill. Though her husband died in 1944, she would live there until 1958.
During her lifetime Mrs. Miller wrote over 300 short stories and more than 40 books,mostly historical romance in nature, and many dealing with the Reconstruction period in the South. Her children’s books include a Christmas series with such titles as Christmas at Monticello with Thomas Jefferson,Christmas at Mount Vernon with George and Martha Washington, and Christmas with Robert E. Lee.
She has been quoted as saying, “To me the unchanging loveliness of the holy days is proof of the unchanging love of God.”
Helen Topping Miller died on February 4, 1960 at age seventy-five and is buried in Morristown, Tennessee.
First Book –Sharon (1931): Sharon
Last Book - A Sound of Chariots (1994): A Sound of Chariots
Source: http://library.cn.edu/speccoll/miller...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 3, 2015
I enjoy Helen Topping Millers historicals, and this one is one of my favorites. The story begins with the Neerys, and Mother and two daughters, living in Baltimore. They have just inheritated the mothers old home down south, and decide to go see if it is habitable.
Returning to her childhood home revives memories of the "feud" for the mother, and she revives it with all the steadfastness of a rather small-minded character.
The two sisters are very different, Francie being still waters that run deep, and Taffy more like turbulent waters. The two Cavitt sons are of different character also. The oldest one whom Taffy finds fascinating is basically a con man, and his brother whom Francie falls for is the steadfast, romantic one. This book evokes an escape to another time and place for me, and I reread it every few years.
Returning to her childhood home revives memories of the "feud" for the mother, and she revives it with all the steadfastness of a rather small-minded character.
The two sisters are very different, Francie being still waters that run deep, and Taffy more like turbulent waters. The two Cavitt sons are of different character also. The oldest one whom Taffy finds fascinating is basically a con man, and his brother whom Francie falls for is the steadfast, romantic one. This book evokes an escape to another time and place for me, and I reread it every few years.
Displaying 1 of 1 review