Honor Bright

by Frances Parkinson Keyes

Honor is torn between her love for a brilliant young man connected with a presidential family but who, for all his charm and brilliance, carries with him the fatal seeds of weakness and unreliability, and other men who love but do not understand her.

Mrs Archibald Agassiz Stone laid her plump, gloved hand condescendingly on the black broadcloth sleeve of a spindling, bespectacled usher, and began her progress up the center aisle of Trinity Church uncompromisingly, if a little breathlessly.
(from Chapter 1)

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

549 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Frances Parkinson Keyes was an American author who wrote about her life as the wife of a U.S. Senator and novels set in New England, Louisiana, and Europe. A convert to Roman Catholicism, her later works frequently featured Catholic themes and beliefs. Her last name rhymes with "skies," not "keys."

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Mrs. Keyes was a particularly prolific author in the thirties, forties, and fifties. She usually featured a couple of heroines, often one with a tragic sexual appetite (albeit, usually only for one man). That heroine was punished, and punished severely: her death, or her lover's permanent disability, or a grossly inappropriate marriage, etc. Reading these books today is sort of fun in a quirky, good-grief-did-people-really-believe-that sort of way. Also, she has some great background information for those who are willing to wade through the pages and pages and pages of descriptions of food, houses, clothing. As a picture of older ways of thinking, they are very informative.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites of her books, but unbearably sad: a story of opportunities lost due to social fears and lack of integrity.

[Carrie Dalby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of Keyes's Virginia/DC novels that I've read, which I'm accidentally reading out of order. I came across the name HONOR BRIGHT in FIELDING'S FOLLY, which takes place after this one, so I knew where Honor would end up, which took a away a bit of the drama/suspense. And while reading this, I've come across mention of SENATOR MARLOWE'S DAUGHTER, so I'll be reading that DC saga soon.
(The read took me a while because I'm first drafting a book right now--WSS 4.)

[Dragonladymoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book that I fell in love with as a young married woman. I couldn’t bear to part with it and reread it so many times. A bit of a tragic story of true love that goes astray and one that I may not have patience with now, liking my heroines to take action in a forthright way. A truly compelling read.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Francis Parkinson Keyes didn't believe in happy endings.
This is another of her blighted love books, but made quite a good read