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The Colonel's Dream

A Novel

By Charles Chesnutt

By Charles Chesnutt

Best Seller

Part of Harlem Moon Classics

Ebook $9.99

Dec 18, 2007 | ISBN 9780307419347

The Colonel's Dream by Charles Chesnutt
Ebook
Dec 18, 2007 | ISBN 9780307419347

Available from:

Ebook
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  • Ebook

    Dec 18, 2007 | ISBN 9780307419347

    Available from:

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About The Colonel’s Dream

In this provocative novel of reconstruction and race, a Civil War veteran tries to create a new utopia in his Southern hometown after gaining enlightenment and riches in the North.
Revolutionary in both its storyline and its storytelling, The Colonel’s Dream was one of the most progressive books of its time when it was first published in 1905. Few authors of African descent created white protagonists, but Charles Chesnutt did just that, exploring the economic and social conditions of freed slaves through the eyes of Colonel French, a former Confederate officer. Returning to his impoverished hometown after years as a successful businessman in the North, French attempts to revitalize the community and improve living conditions for a vibrant cast of characters living there, including his old servant and an ambitious young woman. Despite his hopes, French faces roadblocks at every turn, including a corrupt convict-leasing system that essentially re-enslaves many of the town’s black residents. With a new, no-holds barred Introduction by the incomparable Ishmael Reed, The Colonel’s Dream offers a prophetic perspective on modern issues of multiculturalism and economic disparity, making it a keystone in American literature and history.

Read An Excerpt

Also by Charles Chesnutt

The House Behind the Cedars
Three Classic African-American Novels
See all books by Charles Chesnutt

About Charles Chesnutt

Charles Chesnutt (1858–1932) was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He drew on his experiences as a biracial American to address racial passing in his classic novel The House Behind the Cedars. Earning a living as a court stenographer and lawyer, Chesnutt supported a… More about Charles Chesnutt

Product Details

Category: Historical Fiction

Ebook | $9.99
Published by Crown
Dec 18, 2007 | 336 Pages | ISBN 9780307419347

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Praise

“Mr. Chestnutt {sic} has made a vivid presentation of the social and racial conditions prevailing in the south, turning the light strongly upon the limitations under which his race suffers. He writes with an avowed purpose, and he writes well.”
—The Detroit Free Press (1905)
“This book is entertaining and most acceptably free from sensationalism.”
—Life Magazine (1906)

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