Lady Baltimore

"Lady Baltimore" by Owen Wister is a story about a young man named Augustus who is captivated by his family history and the refined culture of the South during the late 1800's. The book follows Augustus as he visits the quaint town of Kings Port, South Carolina, and becomes involved in the lives of its residents, especially John Mayrant and the lovely and mysterious Hortense Rieppe, who is about to become John's wife. As Augustus gets to know the town and its people, he deals with themes of love, what society expects from him, and figuring out who he really is, all while discovering more about his own family's past, inspired by his quirky Aunt Carola, and is set against the backdrop of a historical time period and told with both humor and insightful observations about society.