{"product_id":"the-golden-christmas-9781570036125","title":"The Golden Christmas","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA holiday romance, rich in historical particulars, from South Carolina's foremost writer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRife with historical details and peppered with comic characters, \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Christmas\u003c\/i\u003e remains a timeless tale of South Carolina's rich holiday heritage. Originally published in 1852, William Gilmore Simms's classic lowcountry romance chronicles the social customs and Christmas traditions of an antebellum plantation near Charleston.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing influence from \u003ci\u003eRomeo and Juliet \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eA Christmas Carol\u003c\/i\u003e, Simms centers his plot on the pride of a Huguenot family, the prejudice of an English family, and the plight of star-crossed lovers, Ned Bulmer and Paula Bonneau, to win the blessings of both feuding houses amid a festive and frantic holiday season. Simms populates his novel with a lively cast--a learned Northern professor, a young English nobleman, opinionated widows, a blustery plantation owner, a condescending servant, a pig-thieving coachman, and a good-hearted barrister.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterwoven into the text are engrossing details about the lavish decorations and festivities that were the hallmark of Christmas celebrations in the antebellum South. Vibrant fireworks, candles nestled in holly, games of whist and backgammon, Yule logs, eggnog, and a visit from Father Chrystmasse all play their parts as the narrative unfolds. Here, too, are accurate descriptions of dress, dialogue, recreation, cultural mores, social hierarchy, and a vivid tableau of a shopping trip to Charleston's King, Queen, and Meeting streets in the 1850s.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEqual parts novel of manners and comic romance, \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Christmas\u003c\/i\u003e is now, as it has always been, a holiday gift to lovers of Southern lore from South Carolina's most famous author. This edition includes an introduction by Simms historian David Aiken.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDavid Aiken\u003c\/b\u003e teaches English at the College of Charleston and the Citadel. He is a founding member of the William Gilmore Simms Society and has written or edited more than fifty articles and books on Simms and other Southern writers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of South Carolina Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50356823687442,"sku":"9781570036125","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_2094a632-e71e-4286-be13-f156ef370070.jpg?v=1728313908","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-golden-christmas-9781570036125","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}