Pretty Quadroon
Quadroon is a historical novel set in the antebellum South. It tells the story of a young woman named Celeste, who is born into slavery on a Louisiana plantation. Celeste is the daughter of a white plantation owner and a quadroon slave, and she is raised in a world of privilege and luxury. As Celeste grows up, she is exposed to the harsh realities of slavery and the racism of the time. She is also exposed to the beauty of the South and the culture of the Creole people. Celeste is determined to find a way to escape her fate and gain her freedom. The novel follows Celeste as she navigates the complexities of her life and the choices she must make. Along the way, she meets a variety of characters, including a young white man who falls in love with her, a powerful voodoo priestess, and a mysterious runaway slave. Quadroon is a powerful and moving story of love, loss, and the struggle for freedom. It is a story of courage and resilience in the face of adversity, and a reminder of the strength of the human spirit.
By Charles L. Fontenay · First published 1957 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama · 12,299 words
First lines
"Once a man has chosen a path to follow, there's no turning back. But what if the die could be recast and we could retrace our steps when we chose the wrong one. and choose another?"
General Beauregard Courtney sat in his staff car atop a slight rise and watched the slow, meshing movement of his troops on the plains south of Tullahoma, Tennessee. Clouds of dust drifted westward in the lazy summer air, and the dull boom of enemy artillery sounded from the north.
What this Textopian page supports
Pretty Quadroon is listed on Textopian as a novel by Charles L. Fontenay, dated 1957 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Charles L. Fontenay
- Date: 1957 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama, Literary Fiction
- Length: 12,299 words
- Structure: 1 section, 281 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Pretty Quadroon by Charles L. Fontenay
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Pretty Quadroon?
- How does this novel by Charles L. Fontenay fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the 19th century and follows the story of a young woman of mixed race, making it a historical fiction novel.
- Romance — The book follows the story of a young woman's romantic journey, making it a romance novel.
- Drama — The book follows the story of a young woman's struggles and triumphs, making it a drama novel.
- Literary Fiction — The book is written by Charles L. Fontenay, making it a literary fiction novel.
Tags
Civil war · Fiction · Man-woman relationships · Race relations · Science fiction · Time travel · United States · War stories · adjaha · back · beauregard · black