Varina audiobook

Not a book for those who love plot, but a delight for those who love character and strange, beautiful sentences. I have rarely read so slowly just to savor the words. One of my favorite books I’ve read in the last ten years!

Early reviews of this book are mixed; but being the enthusiast that I am for Civil War-era fiction and strong female protagonists, I really enjoyed it. That this novel is based on a real person in history makes it doubly interesting (though I would have liked to have known which parts were based on fact and which were fictionalized. Perhaps the final version, unlike the ARC, will reveal some of this information in an Author’s Note). Just Google Varina Davis and Jefferson Davis wedding photo for their actual wedding photo, and you will get a visual description of this woman’s spark.Unlike others, I did not read Cold Mountain (gasp!), and therefore went into this book with no preconceived notions, expectations, and no comparison-meter (I did watch the Cold Mountain movie and loved it!).What I found was lyrical, period-appropriate prose that was sometimes so beautiful I had to re-read it for my own pleasure – along with many quote-worthy lines:“Children don’t judge their own lives. Normal for them is what’s laid before them day by day. Judgement comes later.”“So even very young she saw slavery as an ancient practice arising because rich people would rather not do hard work, and also from the tendency of people to clench hard to advantageous passages in the Bible and dismiss the rest.”“Humans are inhuman, whether it’s by direct action or by acceptance of a horrible action as normal.”“The you you are with others is not you. To be lonesome is to be who you most fully are.”This is a story of history, the story of a strong woman – and many women of the time, who were forced to marry young. It’s the story of a woman’s feelings of culpability for her actions and the actions of her husband, president Jefferson Davis, in the face of slavery.It is a story that portrays the behavior of both sides – North and South – in equally horrific ways. And maybe most laudable is that fact that the author could portray a character on the “wrong” side of history in such a sympathetic nature. It is no small feat, and yet Frazier does so with finesse.Some may grouse at the actual structure of the book, but I found it did not slow me down: - There are no quotation marks, but em dashes, instead, to denote dialogue in some places. Others are written in narrative “he said” or “she said” format, again, without quotes.- The book is told through a series of meetings with an interesting person from Varina’s past in which she recollects and recounts her life to him. (I researched him; fascinating!)- The story is not linear, and in some ways, reads as a series of vignettes of history, jumping around a bit here and there.- There are A LOT of historical figures mentioned in this book, often at breakneck speed (to some, it may read as a history dump, but I did not interpret it that way. It appears that Varina Davis was simply THAT connected to so many historical figures – a fact I found interesting in itself).All said, I wanted to learn more about this woman we meet in the later years of her life, a stand-offish woman who recounts her past to a weekly visitor: how she grew to be stubborn and direct, what it was like to be the first lady of the Confederate States, what it was like to suffer such hardship, and how one might reconcile such a life as the years pass by.If you enjoy literary fiction, historical fiction, and history, itself, this is a must-read. It is a slow, quiet unraveling of the past, a story to take your time reading. Recommend!If I have a complaint, it's that I wanted more of the weekly visitor - more backstory, more current story, just more. Much more. Thanks to my book angel for passing this ARC along to me when she was done!

Varina: The Consequences of Complacency Varina by Charles Frazier was chosen as a Group Read by members of On the Southern Literary Trail for August, 2018. “—Oh, Mary said, life is mostly just what happens. Choice or chance or fate, gods or not. Like it or not. Things happen, we do what we think is in our best interests or just convenient, and then we live with the consequences.” I have admired the writing of Charles Frazier since his first novel, Cold Mountain received the National Book Award. Each of his successive books have been remarkably good and remarkably different. However, with Varina, Frazier has written his most thoughtful and complex work.Frazier brings to life American society from the Mexican War through the American Civil War and beyond Reconstruction casting his characters with the family of Jefferson Davis, particularly his bride, half his age, Varina Davis née Howell. The daughter of a failed Natchez businessman, Varina is sent to visit the Davis Plantation. She is given no explanation. However, when Congressman Jefferson Davis rides up to the plantation mansion she notes how well he sits his horse and the trim fit of his suit. Marriage follows. The first hint of something amiss is Davis making a visit to his first wife's grave. Varina wonders whether she shares her marriage with a ghost.War is brewing with Mexico. Davis promises not to go to war, lying, having already enlisted. He returns a wounded hero and rises from Congressman to Senator. The heart of the book is set during and after the American Civil War.The brilliance of this novel emerges through Frazier having Varina be his principal narrator, allowing her to emerge from the shadow of history she has previously occupied. He further introduces Jim Limber, a free black child whom Varina took into the Davis home as a foster child. Jim became a constant playmate of the Davis children living in the nursery with them.Varina's portrait of her husband is not a flattering one. He is sombre, lacking humor. Upon the defeat of the Confederacy, he would willingly walk the steps to the gallows to be a martyr to Constitutional principle without regard to the fate of his wife and children. Their marriage is one better practiced by post than presence.Upon the Union Army's capture of Davis and his family in Georgia, Varina requested an old family friend, Union General Rufus Saxton take Jimmie into his care. Years later, Varina is approached by a young adult black male carrying the memoir of Elizabeth Hyde Botume, First Days Amongst the Contrabands, which contains a chapter on Jim Limber. Am I that boy, he wants to know. Do you remember me?Jim serves as a foil to Varina's memories of plantation kindness and her thoughts of slaves as having merely been her friends. He asks her the hard questions. Did you own me? What was I to you? A pet? A toy?The growing relationship between adult Jimmy and the aging Varina provide some of the most moving scenes in this novel. We learn Jim's take away through his thoughts recorded in a notebook of their conversations and Varina's memories prompted by their meetings. Jim tells Varina: “If you mean slaves, you only remember what they allowed you to remember. Even if Davis Bend was really as humane as you believe, they kept their misery to themselves, kept it a mystery to you. I promise that's true. Think of it as a great gift, a mark of affection. Their protection of your memory." Varina: “Whether you pick well or poorly, the act of choosing carries grief. Leaves you wondering, years later, what life might have been had you chosen differently. . . . Or even wishing you'd simply paused, taken a long, deep breath. Not allowed the personal moment and the pattern of your family and your stupid culture to shove you two-handed from behind, forcing you to stumble unbalanced into the future” "I sometimes imagine meeting my seventeen-year-old self. She's still here inside me somewhere. Maybe one morning in the mirror, there she'll be. I look at her with affection and understanding and hope. She sees me and backs away in horror while I try to explain why I made the choices I made.” So we end where Mary Boykin Chesnut began. We live with the consequences, as Varina did. But we must recognize that Varina was no villainess, but a woman, for all the intelligence and kindness she possessed, lived in a world where she too was a slave to the power of men.This is historical fiction written as it should be. Frazier continues to remain among my favorite contemporary American authors.

I recently discovered these Civil War letters in the attic from my relative, Jubal Burnside who fought at Shiloh, Chickamauga, and several other bloody campaigns. I have transcribed them in their entirety for your information and interest.“My precious Clara,We are now awaiting steamers to transport the troops to Christiana. The division is to garrison for the rest of the summer, a most disgusting prospect, and a fate I hope to escape. The weather is delightful, but very hot and there is the greatest abundance of blackberries. Maj. General Walker has the troops reading Varina, by Charles Frazier. Apparently Frazier is a big deal, the Yankees gave him a National Book Award for his previous novel, Cold Mountain. The Bluebellies even made a moving picture of it starring an Australian woman and Renee Zellweger (who is at least from the great state of Texas). However, the boys and I would be happy reading less vexing stories. Maybe a thriller like The Woman in the Plantation, or Dreamy Antebellum Vampire Hunk. Yet, Varina is delightful and noble in it’s own manner. Frazier details the story of our President Jeff Davis’s wife, Varina Davis in the last days of this god-awful Hell. It’s a simple, character-focused story that jumps between the closing days as the South tragically falls, and 1906 where Varina is living in exile. James Blake, once an unwanted black child Varina took in and raised for a spell with her children, has come to speak to her in Saratoga Springs attempting to find out what truly happened during his youth.There are only a few hundred pages, so I feel I shall persevere. I am more than anxious to see you my darling, but still undecided about when I shall come. Look for me when you see me, is as near as I can come to it.Yr. own loving+ devoted , Jubal”And there was this one he wrote to his mother:“Dearest MotherI shall take to the pensil to let you know I am well. We have just returned from a trip into E. Tenn where we got big amounts of everything to eat and everything we eat is so good-though not as good as your squirrel dumplings with a side of your special kimchi. I’d give anything to dine with you and father, drinking a gallon of that La Croix Berry sparkling water we’d pick up at Whole Foods. I miss home. I miss everything about it from the farm, the cooling waters of our creek, to Indian leg wrestling grandma in the West parlor. For an 89-year-old amputee with the gout, Grandma could surly flip over the best of us!The shelling of Petersburg has commenced again more vigorously than ever. As we are hunkered down, me and the boys have finished Varina. That Frazier can really write. This simple book has depths deeper than the Mississippi. The way he has drawn Varina is a revelation, she is plucky and real, yet still complacent in this great tragedy that tears apart the country. This duality drives the book-how can one person so grounded, smart, and moral participate in an endeavor so evil. While slow moving, all the boys and myself have really enjoyed Charles Frazier’s Varina. I would recommend it to you and your book club as well as to anyone who enjoys a well-written yarn.It brings joy as the enemy still holds it’s position and our lines are drawn up close. My love to you and father, cousin Sackrider, and of course dear Fannie Licker.Write when you can and a long letter as I am anxious to hear from you.Your son,Jubal”

"Civilization balances always on a keen and precarious point, a showman spinning a fine Spode dinner plate on a long dowel slender as a stem of hay. A puff of breath, a moment’s lost attention, and it’s all gone, crashed to ruination, shards in the dirt. Then mankind retreats to the caves, leaving little behind but obelisks weathering to nubs like broken teeth, dissolving to beach sand.”As a fan of Cold Mountain (which I reread before delving into Varina) I consumed Varina in 3 days. This is unusual for me as life inevitably gets in the way when there is a glimmer of free time for reading. Still, I love the way Frazier writes. Every word considered and weighted before being placed on the page. He is not a prolific writer having published only two books since Cold Mountain but if you enjoy history and are tempted to glimpse a little known (to me) woman's part in the mechanization's of the American Civil War then this is worth reading.

This book is about Varina, the second wife of Jefferson Davis when he was appointed President of the Confederacy during the Civil War. The first 60 pages or so are confusing because they are mostly told by "Limber " Jimmie who was a young black boy when Varina rescued and adopted him into her family of 6 children. "Limber " Jimmie as an adult (James) has many questions for Varina and though they have sadly been separated by the war luckily they will meet up again later bringing some answers. So the true beginning of the story starts in the middle, yet patience pays off because what a story it is. Young Varina is only 17 and twenty years younger than Davis when they marry and she always lives in the shadow of his deceased first wife, Knoxie. For awhile she lives her dream of being hostess in the Presidential Mansion, but as the Confederacy fails and everything she knows is destroyed around her she is forced to flee with her children. With bounties on their heads now all of the characters in her world especially her husband ( from whom she is most of the time separated ) never know who is friend or foe as they try and escape to safety through the destruction. Because I am near my sixth decade of living, I especially devoured the last third of the book as an older and wiser Varina reminisces back on the many lessons she's learned throughout her life. She was a strong educated woman who certainly experienced a perilous life, and one of great loss, and yet still somehow continued to find beauty in small things. Charles Frazier's writing is full of beautiful prose and though this is historical fiction he has done an excellent job of bringing a previously unknown entity to life. Terrific book choice this month for On The Southern Literary Trail -Aug 20185 stars

Oh what a joy to read the gorgeous prose of Frazier again. With so many people today screaming 'Tear down the statues' in America's South, who would imagine a novel detailing the life of The First Lady of the Confederacy? The impeccable language which Frazier uses to tell his tale is a testament to his skill. You can hear the cadence of each character in your mind as you read Varina's story. She imagined a life of ease being the wife of a well-to-do Mississippi landowner; only to find that dream shattered when Jefferson Davis heads the new Confederacy. VARINA is packed with details of life in the Confederate South, not pulling any punches on plantation life, slavery, capitalism and class. A pleasure to read.

Varina, by Charles FrazierCharles Frazier, author of Cold Mountain, has released a new historical fiction about Varina Howell Davis, Jefferson Davis’ wife.SynopsisThe book starts based on the memory of James Blake. As a child in Richmond, James was rescued by V when she saw him being beaten in the streets. Now, James is looking for his rescuer, V, some forty years later, wondering if he will recognize her and she him. They had been separated soon after the Civil War ended.James does not remember his childhood, why he was rescued, and, of course, does not know V’s story after they parted. The story is told as a flashback to James on eight successive Sundays. And V’s life after she and James parted, was very interesting. ReviewI had not ever heard of Varina Davis. This book describes her life, her childhood, her meeting of Jefferson Davis, her life with and without him. She is a strong, independent, and interesting woman. The things she did and endured in her life were shocking and startling. The Davises did not have a sound marriage. The book states that out of their 45 year union, they spent about half of it together. Charles Frazier describes her life and events in such beautiful language. Even more than the story itself, the writing style and choice of words, similes and metaphors makes this book.Sometimes I did get confused about what was happening. The story tended to jump around. But I am convinced that I will find much more if I re-read this book, which I plan to do when I can get it from the library again. There are now 37 waiting at the library for this book… so, after that.I have a personal connection to this book as well. I was asked to assist in selecting the cover picture and the type for the title. Given three options for each, the final two used were the ones I selected. No wonder the book is so special to me.4.5 stars rounded up to 5

"Being on the wrong side of history carries consequences. V lives that truth every day. If you've done terrible things, lived a terrible way, profited from pain in the face of history's power to judge, then guilt and loss accrue. Redemption becomes an abstract idea receding before you."James waits for Varina to show up, he is holding the blue book. He claims he is Jimmie from the book. At first, Varina does not believe him but as they talk, she changes her mind and is brought back to a tumultuous time in her life. Varina recalls her days as Jefferson Davis' wife, as the First Lady of the Confederate States of America in The Gray House and those days after the confederacy fell in which she was fleeing for her life with her children. As Varina strolls through memory lane, she wonders wether history will redeem her.Recently I started reading about the women behind famous men and up til now, all these women were on the "right side" of history. Varina Howell Davis was on the opposing side (the Confederacy) during the American Civil War, both by choice and by chance. When V (as Varina is referred to throughout the book) sees James, she does not believe him to be her Jimmie. Jimmie was a boy she rescued off the streets and raised as her own. But as they talk, Jimmie reconnects with her and V opens up about her lfe. She remembers those days in which she took all the children and fled Richmond. The Union had won and now there is a bounty on her husband, her and their children. They are trying to get to Florida and then leave the country. V reminisces about the route her life took to get to those moments. Being frank, I did not like the beginning of this book at all. The timelime jumped around and the transitions were confusing. There is no quotation marks around the dialogue and the overall structure is a bit odd. I wondered wether it was worth it to continue reading on. I stuck with it and I am so glad I did. Past the starting point, this book is amazing. It depicts a woman that is both a sinner and a saint and her voice rings loud and clear. As I read, the non-linear chronology was not as big an issue anymore and the pace complimented the plot. Ultimately, I found ths book utterly engrossing. Would recommend.". . . life is mostly just what happens, choice or chance or fate, gods or not. Like it or not. Things happen, we do what we think is in our best interests or just convenient, and then live with the consequences. When we finally start taking the long view back down the road we've traveled, maybe we repent. Or just dig in out heels and claim righteousness, no matter how damning the evidence against us."Varina Howell Davis is quite an intriguing woman. Prior to reading this, I was prepared to hate her. Now that I know more about her, I can say that while I do not agree with her entirely , there is plenty about her that I respect. Due to her father's mismanagement of money, Varina had few marriage possibilities. When visiting family friends, she meets Jefferson Davis. She is 17. Davis is 35, a widower and a West Point graduate. Despite their differences, Varina and him eventually marry. Davis (as we well know now) has political aspirations and upon the secession of the southern states from the Union, he becomes their president. Thus making Varina the First Lady of the South. Oddly enough, though, Varina did not fully support the confederacy. While she was pro-slavery, she was also pro-union and she did not share the same view of race as her husband: Varina Davis (of all people) was politically moderate for the time. She was the most reluctant of the first ladies (maybe even more than the one that currently occupies that job) but she did the job well. She was a good hostess, conversationalist and witty (and well read to boot). Towards the end of her life, she became friends with Julia Grant and advocated for the reconcilitaion of the north and the south. Varina famously said in a newspaper article (in 1901) that the Union won because it was God's will and that the right side won. No matter what else, I have to admire her spirit.