Historical Fiction Annotation
Historical Fiction
Author: Anne Rice
Title: The Feast of All Saints
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published: January 16, 1979
Number of Pages: 640
Geographical Setting: New Orleans
Time Period: 1840s
Plot Summary: The Feast of All Saints is set in
the 1840s in New Orleans and showcases the lives of gens
de couleur libre,
or the Free People of Color by telling the coming of age story of Marcus, who
is the son of a plantation owner Philippe Ferronaire and Cecile, Ferronaire’s creole
mistress. At the age of 14 Marcus dreams of living in Paris and learning from
Christophe, a famous author.
When Cristophe makes a surprise visit home to start a school for young gens, Marcus is trying to come to terms
with his own place in New Orleans society. His own family history is slowly peeled
back to reveal shocking secrets that Marcus has to learn to accept or loss his
already fragile place in society.
Characteristics
that fit into Historical Fiction:
·
Historical Setting: The story takes place in 1840s
New Orleans, less than 40 years after the Louisiana Purchase, where there were
still plenty of French, Spanish, and free African descendants that still lived
in the port city of New Orleans. Anne Rice is known for her detailed depiction
of New Orleans through the times and Feast of All Saints is packed with plenty
of historical facts of that time period.
·
Authentic Characters: This element is portrayed in
each character and their place in this closed off society from the rest of nineteenth
century America. Like with most historical fiction novels, Feast of All Saints
is character based and driven.
·
Cultural Understanding: Anne Rice describes a
culture that is rarely depicted in today’s historical texts. With 1800s New
Orleans being a mix of the Caribbean, French, Spanish, and African it intersects
into different cultures. For Anne Rice using factual information has always
been a strong factor in her other series. She uses actual slave revolts, born
free and freed African American and Caribbean societal rules, and nineteenth
century French customs accurately for this time period.
Similar
Authors and Works:
v AlTonya Washington’s novel Passion’s furies: Shares a similar time period
v Walter
Mosley novel 47: Tells a coming of age story of a young slave boy who is
struggling for liberation
v Lynn
Cullen’s novel Mrs. Poe shares the romantic aspects of the Feast of All Saints
3
Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors
v
The
World That Made New Orleans by Ned Sublette
v
New
Orleans Un-Masqued by S. Fredrick Starr
v
Black
Life in Old New Orleans by Keith Medley
3
Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
v
Unforgivable
Love: A Retelling of Dangerous Liaisons by Sophfronia Scott
v
Lazaretto:
A Novel by Diane McKinney-Whetstone
v
The
House Behind the Cedars by Charles W. Chesnutt
What really makes or break a Historical Fiction book is if the characters are authentic or not. I've read a few titles in the past where it was set in a certain time period but the characters did not play the part. This title seems to have characters that really represent the time period, which this author really took on a society that has so much happening. Sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteExcellent annotation! This is not one I've read before, but your summary has me hooked! Full points! And great job with the characteristics and readalikes!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI have not read any Anne Rice. I have only seen "Interview with the Vampire" which I really like (I know, movies are generally not as good as the books...). The subject matter sounds interesting, especially with it being set in New Orleans. I think I need to read some Anne Rice!