Girl from the South
by Joanna Trollope
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Set partly in London and partly in South Carolina, Girl From the South follows the fortunes of a small group of the young and the single — the children, in fact, of sixties swingers. They have, it seems, infinite opportunity, but are bedeviled by indecision, by the breadth of choice, by the inflexibility of tradition — and by the consequences of their parents' careless marital history..
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The story of a young American, battling a stifling upbringing in Charleston (USA - the South of the title), her move to London and how this is the catalyst for change in the lives of the Londoners she befriends. A little too sprawling and unresolved to be Trollopes best work - I know life is like that but we do look to fiction for resolution!
This novel is mainly about culture differences and expectations, set in both London (UK) and Charleston (USA). There are really four main characters, but the title refers to Gillon, a girl raised in the old-fashioned American South, by an elegant grandmother and hard-working mother, who feels that she doesn't fit in. She takes a job in London in the hope of escaping from a claustrophobic family, only to find that they do matter to her more than she realised.
2.5 stars Definitely not Trollope at the top of her game.
Joanna Trollope s'intéresse cette fois-ci à une jeune femme américaine, du sud des Etats Unis, qui s'installe en Angleterre pour s'accorder une bouffée d'air. Ce qui est particulier avec Joanna Trollope est que l'on enchaine ses livres pour la retrouver, elle, plutôt que ses héros ou ses histoires. Quelque chose de très humain.
Apr 2, 2007French
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ThingScore 100
This is subtle, delicate entertainment that skillfully avoids romantic cliché while offering a group of believably quirky characters learning to adjust to new maturity.
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Books About Girls
219 works; 17 members
Author Information

49+ Works 11,123 Members
Joanna Trollope was born in Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England on December 9, 1943. She graduated from Oxford University. She worked on Chinese affairs in the Foreign Office in London for two years, and then became a teacher. In 1980, she became a full-time author. Her first books to be published were a number of historical novels written under show more the pen name Caroline Harvey. These were followed by Britannia's Daughters: Women of the British Empire, a historical study of women in the British Empire. The Choir was her first contemporary novel. Her other works include A Village Affair, A Passionate Man, The Rector's Wife, Girl from the South, The Soldier's Wife, and Balancing Act. She was appointed OBE in the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours List. (Bowker Author Biography) Joanna Trollope is a descendant of Anthony Trollope & a #1 bestselling author in England. Her ten novels include "Marrying the Mistress", "Other People's Children", & "The Best of Friends", "A Spanish Lover", "The Choir", & "The Rector's Wife" which were both adapted for Masterpiece Theatre; & writing as Caroline Harvey, the historical novels "The Brass Dolphin" & "Legacy of Love". She lives in London & Gloucestershire, England. (Publisher Provided) show less
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Girl from the South
- Original title
- Girl from the South
- Original publication date
- 2002-02
- People/Characters
- Gillon Stokes; Henry Atkins; Tilly
- Important places
- London, England, UK; Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Epigraph
- [None]
- Dedication
- [None]
- First words
- Gillon lay in bed with her eyes closed.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Hello," he said, still smiling, "Henry Atkins here."
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 545
- Popularity
- 54,319
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (2.89)
- Languages
- 5 — Dutch, English, French, German, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 42
- ASINs
- 7





























































