Being from the Northwest where I live now and from the Southwest (Southern California) when I was growing up, I know next to nothing about debutante culture. It seems to mostly take place in the American South, and I surmise most of what I’ve seen in movies and on television is inaccurate or exaggerated. When I hear “debutante” I’m thinking of big frilly dresses, big hair, bossy mothers, fancy balls and dinners, and too-tight high heels.
So when I came across this non-fiction book by Kristen Richardson, “The Season: A Social History of the Debutante,” I was very intrigued to read it. I immediately wondered if some of your Lovely Living University members might also find this a fascinating read (if not exactly a page turner).
Flipping through quickly, I was surprised to learn that Queen Elizabeth I sort of “invented” the coming-out tradition, to help wealthy court fathers find husbands for their daughters. The book will continue onward to the Antebellum North and South, to New York, to The Gilded Age, and will discuss debutantes in Cafe Society too. Modern debutante rituals in the South will take up a large portion of the book, as will an examination of debutantes in African American society; and a peek at “The Debutante Re-Imagined.” I’m so curious!
If you’d like to participate reading with us, order “The Season” from your local library, or snag a copy via Amazon (affiliate link).
We’ll begin reading on February 1, 2020 (you can always jump in earlier!) and start our discussions in the first week of February, over at the Lovely Living University Book Club Facebook Group.
The reading schedule will be posted in the Facebook group and on the Lovely Living University Book Club page.
You can read reviews of “The Season” here:
You can find out more about the book over at GoodReads too.
I look forward to learning more about debutantes with you!
-Carrie
