If I ever become rich and famous, I plan to devote some of that wealth to reprinting the works of Frances Parkinson Keyes, an amazing author who is now sadly out of print. Her lush writing, intricate stories and beautiful characters rise above the psuedo-intellectual bestsellers of today.

"Crescent Carnival" is one of my favorites, the story of three generations of women who fall in love (or don't) with the handsome, dashing Breckenridge men. It spans the years from 1890 to 1940, in the lush surroundings of New Orleans. It's really more like three novelettes rather than a book on its own.

The first part is about Estelle Lenoir, a wealthy, naive Creole beauty who is destined to be married to dull but kindly Marcel. The problem is that Estelle has fallen madly in love with Andy Breckenridge, a handsome young man with dark whisperings, who is often shunned from the politer parts of New Orleans society (including Estelle's parents). Estelle, who has been carefully guarded from the less savory aspects of life, now is exposed to the dark secrets of Andy's past. She must choose between her love for him and her fear of what he might turn her life into.

The second part involves Andy's son Breck, who is married to a wife from Boston; Anna is shrewish, hypocritical, bigoted, cares little for children, hates New Orleans, and cares more for how things look and whether they are sufficiently New-England-ish than whether they are comfortable and pleasant. Breck has a vague idea that this is a rotten deal for him, but not much more than that. He soon gets back in touch with "Aunt" Estelle and her two children, the rather foppish Olivier and the lovely, innocent Marie Celeste. When Breck goes back to his old family plantation, Anna begins a rather desperate flirtation with Olivier, while Breck falls in love with Marie Celeste. But can he be with the woman he loves?

The third story involves Olivier's daughter, Stella (named after Estelle). Stella, like her grandmother, is a society beauty in a rapidly-changing enviroment, while Estelle is saddened to see the world that she knew as a girl and a younger woman falling away. Though it is assumed that Stella will wed Drew Breckenridge (Breck's son), she surprises everyone by falling in love with a young Cajun man named Raoul Bienvenu. And the rather dowdy yet goodhearted Patty Forrestal, a distant relation of Drew's grandmother, has fallen in love with Drew...

For a book about tragic losses and separations, somehow this book never becomes depressing. Perhaps it's the lack of deathbed musings and endless weeping about lost characters; the deaths or losses of the assorted characters are either handled quickly, offstage, or in newspaper clippings. It remains kind of upbeat, in fact. The descriptions of New Orleans

The characters are beautifully made. Estelle is a well-fleshed-out character, going from a naive young beauty to a strong, tragic matriarch. Andy Breckenridge is a rather stereotypical devilishly-attractive rake, but he is less interesting than Estelle's reactions and responses to him. Breck, unlike his father, is sympathetic and well-done, a guy who just wants a happy hope, lots of kids, and a wife who doesn't sit there and carp at him. Anna is a pushy, dominating shrew who demands that New Orleans adjust to fit her tastes. Marie Celeste is lovely, and Olivier is a pain.

The third part may be the weakest, as instead of a slow buildup to the romance, we are flung straight into it before getting to know Stella or Raoul or Drew very well. (Patty we get to know earlier on) When Stella and Raoul are engaged, the reader thinks, "What? Already? How many hours have they known each other?" I found Drew and Raoul to be intriguing, Stella less so as she seems a bit disrespectful to Estelle and a bit two-dimensional. She doesn't have the depth of Caresse in "Dinner at Antoine's," and the third story seems a little desperate to be modern. But she fleshes out late in the story, becoming a young woman thwarted in her first love and afraid to love again; Patty becomes less sympathetic, making a ridiculously sexist statement that she was born to love her husband and have babies. I found Stella's balance of singing and love far more palatable.

Never has New Orleans seemed as enticing as it does here, with the beautiful buildings, intriguing social structures, lovely nature descriptions and intricate family lines. Keyes wrote with excellent prose in the descriptions of it all. There are a few hints at illegitimacy, seduction, hideous disease, but the book is overall quite appropriate for teens (if they don't mind an 800-page book)

This book does not deserve to be out of print. Hopefully it will be rescued from that wretched state and restored back so that new readers can enjoy this timeless tale.

You have 3 buyers, why can't we do business??????

The steamboat gambler got rich and bought a mansion in the style of steamboat gothic to take his lady-bride to live in and to keep his past hidden from her. Then he passes a great heritage and tradition on to his "grandson", Larry. Keyes at her usual top form, in story, grammar, research and form.

"Steamboat Gothic" is a term for the style of architecture ". . . which was inspired by the floating palaces that plied the Mississippi River during its Golden Age." From the book's forward by the author. Though the tale of a riverman and his family, there is little actual river in the book. There is, however, lots of accurate "period" in the book. As you would expect from F.P.K., it is a good read.

I was first introduced to Mrs. Keyes work by my Grandmother as a young teen. When I finished all the titles in her library, I scoured every library and used bookshop for more. Came a Cavalier is my favorite! Set in war-torn France, the story begins as WWI ends and continues through WWII. It is the story of Constance, a Searcher, a version of a Red Cross worker, who meets and falls in love with a handsome French calvalry officer Tristan. Their happiness is complete until WWII calls the officer back to war. Constance holds her ground in her husband's ancestral chateau throughout the German occupation. Her courage and fortitude are inspiring. The story is griping and full of detail so that you feel you are there in France sipping 100 year old Calvados brandy with the characters. As with most of F.P.Keyes' books, it is a great read!

Half soap, half Agatha Christie mystery, this story of New Orleans in the late 1940s is a charming and compelling story of love, deception, and murder. Populated by a complex and endearing (or repelling) cast of characters, this is an excellent story. (And why isn't it in print?!)

Starting off at the restaurant Antoine's, it follows extremely rich playboy Orson Foxworth (yes, that is his real name) introducing his lovely niece Ruth Avery to the rich'n'famous of New Orleans. Among them are the beautiful Amelie Lalande, a self-absorbed but very lovely widow that Foxworth wants as a lover but is willing to marry; Odile St. Amand, Amelie's daughter, who is suffering from a disease she tries to hide; Leonce St. Amand, Odile's philandering husband; Caresse Lalande, Odile's little sister who is on the brink of a full-fledged affair with Leonce; Vance Perrault, a doctor who cares deeply for Odile; Odile's ex-lover, Sabin Duplessis; Joe Racina, a brilliant journalist, and many many others...

After a fateful night where Odile's shaking hands cause her to spill wine on herself (similar to a bloodstain), Amelie refuses Foxworth's proposal as she doesn't want to leave her poor invalid daughter alone, and Leonce attempts a seduction. Motives are abundant when Odile is found dead in her bedroom - shot through the heart with a gift from her ex-lover. Many lives and destinies will change (some for the better, some for worse) before Odile's killer finds justice of a sort...

The pace is pleasant and gradual, allowing us excellent insight into the characters. The descriptions of luxurious houses, restaurants and clothing (especially clothing!) are evocative and entertaining. No threads are left untangled, and the question of motive and reason is, frankly, as excellent as that of the Grand Mistress of Mystery, Agatha Christie.

There is only one thing that kept this from being a five-star book: As it was written in 1948, this book has a rather stereotyped portrayal of African Americans, especially Odile's loving nurse Tossie. Despite the stereotype, I was pleased that Tossie was not played for laughs and was one of the more insightful characters in the story. The reader automatically connects with her (especially regarding her low, low, LOW opinion of Leonce) and is warmed by the last chapter regarding her.

Though Ruth Avery is sort of the heroine, she is nevertheless not the central character. She is strong and independent, with little thought of social position; and, after Odile's murder, so is Caresse (whom I expected to hate but ended up liking). I hated Leonce, was charmed by Orson Foxworth and Joe Racina. I found the character of Amelie Lalande to be highly annoying, with her self-centered artificiality.

Though there are a few pitfalls in this book, it is nevertheless an entertaining (and pretty clean as well) story about mystery and passion in New Orleans, a beautiful city. Well worth the read.

"Dinner at Antoine's" written by Frances Parkinson Keyes is set in New Orleans during Carnival Season in January 1948. It is a mystery that endures the generations. I first read "Dinner at Antoine's" ten years ago in 1990. I enjoyed the book so much that it inspired me to make a trip to the Crescent City. My love for the book has not died since that first reading.

The mystery is terrific. When I began my second read of the book in May 2000, I was quickly swept into the plot. I didn't want to stop reading. The book is so well written that the characters, plot and setting come to life before the reader. As Ruth Avery, the main character, sees New Orleans for the first time, I too saw the city for the first time through her eyes. The author gives a complete picture of New Orleans society in 1948 through the many characters that she develops. Joe Racina and his wife Judith are middle class residents. Joe works as a reporter and Judith maintains their home. Judith has chosen not to hire help as she grew up in Connecticut on a farm. To the opposite extreme you have the Lanlande family at the top of society. Other characters include Russell Aldridge, architect; Vance Perrault, doctor; and Tossie Pride, personal maid. "Dinner at Antoine's" is an old fashion murder mystery that in the style of Agatha Christie is full of suspects. Once again I was intrigued until the end as I remained unsure of the murderer's identity until it was revealed. This book is by far the author's best and it makes you beg for a sequel.

The added bonus to "Dinner at Antoine's" are the physical descriptions of landmarks in New Orleans. The descriptions are so great that this book could almost be categorized as a travel essay. When I traveled to New Orleans, I used "Dinner at Antoine's" as my guide. I quickly found Antoine's Restaurant and in the restaurant I found the Rex Room, 1840 Room, and Mystery Room just as the restaurant had been described by the author. The French bread, tomato aspic, oysters Foch, flaming pressed duck with cream and brandy, cherries Jubilee, and café brulot all enticingly described by the author can still be found on the menu. I quickly moved on throughout New Orleans finding the Court of the Two Sisters, Café Du Monde, the French Market, Jackson Square, the cathedral, St. Charles Avenue, the Garden District, Audubon Park, and the Metaire Cemetery. My most recent reading of the book has me wanting to return to discover the River Road and to find out if the Bar None Restaurant exists with its barbecued chicken, onion rings and corn fritters. Even if I find that the River Road and Bar None only exist in the author's imagination, she has so aptly described them that I will always feel as if I have actually visited.

Reading "Dinner at Antoine's" is the perfect way to spend a weekend when you want to take a luxurious vacation in the comfort of your home.

Gold Slippers is a sequel to "Blue Camelia" ,written in 1958 and set in Louisiana in the period between the world wars.To families of wealth and influence,life was kinder than it was to struggling farm families even though much effort was demanded of the sons in building rice empires,rice having been developed only comparatively recently in the South.Prosper Vilac is the scion of just such a family-hardworking in the family business but falls for a dance hall singer,Titine,who is out to use him to further her own ends.After a one night stand with Titine, Prosper becomes engaged to marry Victorine,a very suitable girl and one that his family approves of.Titine's body is discovered in Prospers rice mill and an investigation is set up to discover her killer.This is an old-fashioned book by todays standards,and proceeds at a leisurely pace,but Miss Keye's books have the charm of former days and I found it fascinating to revisit some of the Louisianan towns which I visited in person just a few months ago.

Too long and too boring. Character development was absent. In fact, you read about a person, get to know them and they do something so out of character that it's like reading a new book. There were many horrific people in this story but when the "good" people become bad, you wonder why you are reading such an unhappy novel.

The first Keyes book I ever read was "Dinner at Antoine's", and ever since I have attempted to read ALL of her books (50-some). I also collect them. "The River Road" is one of my favorites. The author thoroughly researches the geographic areas about which she writes, and this one is no exception. It takes place in Louisiana during the hey-day of the big plantations along the Mississippi. She has honorable characters and scoundrels in her stories, and I especially love her descriptive detail of places - both architectural and scenic! She also follows the main characters through a generation, maybe more. If you like using your imagination, you can almost "see" the places she describes. The story is a great character study. All in all, it's a winner!

This book seems written for children with less than a high school education. It is the life of the saint told in elementary form and does not go into depth about the personality and the struggles of the saint. As with most works I keep searching for (and buying like a fool) I find it insufficient and inadequate. I guess in want of depth and study there are no books about the saint.

The Vision book series was originally intended for children 10 and up. There is much to be learned by adults as well as children in the series. I understand wanting more depth with regard to the lives of the saints. I have not come across any on Mother Cabrini either that are targeted at adults.

Much as I enjoy the Southern works of Frances Parkinson Keyes,I found this one to just too much like a text book work on the Civil War with just a few extraneous characters thrown in to make a story of it.It would probably be of great interest to students of history with its descriptions of battles and military personnel,but,without having a particular interest in the Civil War (or as she always referred to it-The War Between the States ),I found it to be rather heavy going and did a lot of "skipping".