The optimists daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to. The optimists daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left. Eudora alice welty was an awardwinning american author who wrote short stories and novels about the american south. Where does the optimists daughter rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far. Mount salus, mississippi, along with his daughter, laurel mckelva hand, from. After his death, she and her silly young stepmother go back still farther, to the small mississippi town where she grew up. Those who didnt enjoy the topsyturvy eccentricity of losing battles will be happy to find miss welty back in the changeless countryside of her earlier short novels where memory is the eternal revenant keeping alive places and people often in the mortmain of the past. Divided into four parts, it centers on a woman named laurel who travels to new orleans to take care of her father, judge mckelva, as he recovers from eye surgery. After reconnecting with her ailing father, chicagobased designer laurel returns to her childhood home in smalltown mississippi. Thus laurel returns home, after the death of her mother, after her father has remarried the common wanda fay, as he lies in a. It felt empty at first, in the beginning of the book the main character was not developed as in other books and i almost put it down, but im glad i didnt. I cant quite believe im about to admit this on the internet, but i had never read eudora welty before i picked up this book not even that short story why i live at the p.
The optimists daughter is a pulitzer prize for fictionwinning short novel by eudora welty. The optimists daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans, where her father is dying. The optimist s daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans, where her father is dying. Synopsis by suzanne marrs eudora welty foundation scholar the optimists daughter is a short novel divided into four sections. In her memory as in her fiction, the strands are all there.
Thoughts on eudora weltys the optimists daughter by. It builds slowly, like the logs of a fire stacked with precision and lit with kindling, first on one side, then another, then another, until finally the coals in the center are hot enough to engulf the pile into a steady, even flame, perfect for cooking. The optimists daughter is a pulitzer prize for fiction winning short novel by eudora welty. She is the author of, among many other books, one writers beginnings, the robber bridegroom, delta wedding, the ponder heart, losing battles, and the optimists daughter which won the pulitzer prize in 1973. The optimist s daughter is a subtle, oldfashioned novel set in the south that explores social class, death, and values through the conflict between the middleaged, widowed, wellbred daughter of a judge, laurel, and her ignorant, red necked, younger stepmother, fay. The optimists daughter is definitely not a plotdriven novel, which is usually fine with me. The optimists daughter book by eudora welty 8 available. Get book recommendations, fiction, poetry, and dispatches from the world of literature in your inbox. She recalls her mom and dad reading parts of books to each other. In the optimists daughter, readers will discover a large cast of characters and the complexity of their relationships, the rich humor and subtlety of dialog that reveals without describing, the wideness of scope compressed within the boundaries of a short novel, the wisdom and. Winner of the 1972 pulitzer prize for her novel the optimist s daughter, several o. The optimists daughter book by eudora welty 9 available. I loved the description of the sewing woman, miss berna longmeyer. The optimists daughter symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver.
The optimists daughter by welty, eudora and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Judge clinton mckelva and his much younger second wife fay have come from. Her description tells a deep story about that exact time in the south. First edition points to identify the optimists daughter. It concerns a woman named laurel, who travels to new orleans to take care of her father. Back to table of contents summary the story opens on a chilly. This is an excellent novel that bears close reading by an important american author. The optimist s daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the.
Eudora welty a woman who has left the south returns when her father is dying. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. Citation formats are based on standards as of july 2010. The question and answer section for the optimists daughter is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The optimists daughter, pulitzer prizewinning short novel by eudora welty, published in 1972. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The optimists daughter study guide contains a biography of eudora welty, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. The doctor tells judge that he has a detached retina and that it must be operated on at once. Oct 24, 2017 the optimists daughter is a quiet novel. The optimists daughter by eudora welty about the book. It was first published as a long story in the new yorker in march 1969 and was subsequently revised and published in book form in 1972.
This partially autobiographical story explores the subtle bonds between parent and child and the complexities of love and grief. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. The optimists daughter b ook won the pulitzer prize for fiction. Laurel mckelva hand leaves her job as a textile designer in chicago, to go back home to the south when her father calls because hes sick. The optimist s daughter by welty, eudora and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Henry awards, two american book awards, and numerous others, eudora welty has established herself as one of the most admired fiction writers of the twentieth century.
The optimists daughter by eudora welty, paperback barnes. She was sent to sleep under a velvety cloak of words, richly patterned and stitched with gold, straight out of a fairy tale, while they went reading on into her dreams. This pulitzer prizewinning novel tells the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans, where her father is dying. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. The optimist in question is 71yearold judge mckelva, who has come to a new orleans hospital from mount salus, mississippi, complaining of a disturbance in his vision. The optimist s daughter discussion questions eudora welty this study guide consists of approximately 65 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the optimist s daughter. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the optimist s daughter vintage international. The optimist s daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to. Sep 16, 2018 its the optimists daughter, which won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1973. The optimist s daughter vintage international kindle edition by welty, eudora. A story of an adult daughters laurel struggle with the death of her father, after already having lost her husband and her mother. The optimists daughter by eudora welty discover bccls. The optimist in question is 71yearold judge mckelva, who has come to a new orleans hospital from mount salus, mississippi, complaining of a.
The optimists daughter study guide contains a biography of eudora welty, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The optimists daughter deals with family relationships, as do the earlier novels delta wedding and losing battles and many of weltys short stories. Consult psychology textbooks and journals on the subject of grief. Laurels father, judge mckelva, died in the hospital 3 weeks after a complicated but supposedly successful eye operation. This book opens with judge mckelva seeing a doctor with both his daughter and his second wife fay lauras stepmother because hes having trouble with his vision. This study guide consists of approximately 65 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the optimist s daughter. The fairfax library book discussion group will meet this thursday, november 10th at 7 p. The optimists daughter b ook summary and study guide. The optimists daughter is a brief, powerful, and deeply wise meditation on grief and memory. The optimists daughter is one of the books that i am assigned to read for a workshop im taking in february. The optimists daugh ter npr coverage of the optimists daugh ter by eudora welty. This is another book with a strong female lead character. The optimists daughter is a compact and inwardlooking little novel, a pulitzer prize winner thats slight of page yet big of heart. The optimists daughter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans.
The optimists daughter book summary and study guide. The optimists daugh ter explores themes of differences among people, past and present, loss and moving on with a high degree of wisdom, subtlety, and humor. Part ilaurel seems like shes got a lot to learn about her father and perhaps mother. Nov 12, 2018 the optimists daughter is definitely not a plotdriven novel, which is usually fine with me. The optimist s daughter eudora welty, 1972 knopf doubleday 192 pp. Readers guide developed by lee anne bryan, former education and outreach specialist for the eudora welty house and garden 1. The optimists daugh ter has 8 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace same low prices, bigger selection, more fun. The optimists daughter by eudora welty 1960 is a novel exploring the complex relationships of a southern family after a death.
The novel begins with judge mckelva, fay, and laurel in an examining room, with dr. Discussion of themes and motifs in eudora weltys the optimists daugh ter. The book consists of only a small number of scenes but they are developed extensively with great artistry. The optimists daughter vintage international kindle. After finishing the optimist s daughter, i went back and reread po just to make sure i hadnt missed something. After his death, she and her silly young stepmother go back to the small mississippi town where she grew up. Optimists daughter by welty, signed abebooks passion for books. I love books that have slower pacing and less action, but i usually need to have characters that i either care about or whose unique personalities stick with me after ive turned the last page. Summary the optimists daughter wikipedia gradesaver. This summary of the optimists daughter includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. The optimist s daughter is a pulitzer prize for fictionwinning short novel by eudora welty. This pulitzer prizewinning novel tells the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns. This pulitzer prizewinning novel tells the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left.
Eudora welty this story of a young womans confrontation with death and her past is a poetic study of human relations. But that wont keep me from reading more welty in the future. The optimists daughter is a short novel by american author eudora welty, first published in 1972. The optimists daughter leather bound special limited edition, 1978 by eudora welty author. The optimists daughter symbols, allegory and motifs. The optimists daughter is the story of laurel mckelva h. Her book the optimists daughter won the pulitzer prize in 1973 and she was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, among numerous awards. O that is in every short story anthology known to man. About the optimists daughter the optimists daughter summary.
Mccullers is best remembered for her first book, the heart is a lonely hunter 1940, an intricate gothic novel set in a small town in the deep south. It seems that in every creative writing class i take, eudora weltys name is invoked. Large cast of characters and complex relationships. Its divided into four parts and even though im going to summarize each part, im really not giving much away about the book because it is a characterbased book. Her book the optimist s daughter won the pulitzer prize in 1973 and she was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, among numerous awards. Im wondering whether fay will be the conduit for that learning. This article was most recently revised and updated by kathleen kuiper, senior editor. Laurel meets her fathers young, new wife, a selfish, disrespectful woman named wanda fay fay. The optimists daughter books you may not have heard of. Buy a cheap copy of the optimists daughter book by eudora welty.
The optimist s daughter is a compact and inwardlooking little novel, a pulitzer prize winner that s slight of page yet big of heart. Judge clinton mckelva and his much younger second wife fay have come from mount salus, mississippi, along with his daughter, laurel mckelva hand, from. To find the market value for this book, click on the prefilled ebay, abebooks, or biblio links to the right and look for comparable listings that have all of these first edition points. Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. The optimist s daughter persuades us of the truth of welty s statement that memory is her greatest treasure. The book begins with the main character, laurel hand, who travels to new orleans from her home in chicago. As the optimist s daughter opens, laurel mckelva hand leaves chicago and goes to new orleans, where her. As the optimist s daughter opens, laurel mckelva hand leaves chicago and goes to new orleans, where her father, judge mckelva, is seeing an eye specialist to find out why his sight is failing.
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