Virginia

"Virginia" by Ellen Glasgow is a story about a young woman named Virginia Pendleton coming of age in the South after the Civil War, where she faces tough choices about what it means to be a woman, what society expects, and her own feelings for Oliver Treadwell, who is returning home. The book looks at growing up, how society changes over time, and the struggle between sticking to old customs and embracing new ideas. The story starts in 1884 in the small town of Dinwiddie, Virginia, introducing Miss Priscilla Batte, a teacher, and her students Virginia and Susan Treadwell. Susan's cousin, Oliver, is coming home, and the girls are excited. We see that Virginia is pretty, full of life, and curious about what's to come. People talk about Oliver and his dreams of being a writer, which makes Virginia even more interested in him. The novel shows both the pretty side of Dinwiddie and the problems that the characters face as Virginia tries to find out who she is while the South changes around her.