What Time Period Does 'Call Your Daughter Home' Take Place In?

2025-06-30 14:27:07 278

3 answers

Mila
Mila
2025-07-05 19:11:33
I recently read 'Call Your Daughter Home' and was struck by how vividly it captures the American South in the 1920s. The story unfolds during a time of massive social change, right between World War I and the Great Depression. You can feel the tension in every page - the lingering effects of slavery, the rise of women's independence, and the brutal economic struggles of rural life. The author nails the details, from the Model T Fords kicking up dust on dirt roads to the whispered conversations about the growing women's suffrage movement. It's set primarily in South Carolina, where the heat feels oppressive and racial tensions simmer just below the surface. The Ku Klux Klan makes appearances, showing how dangerous this era truly was for Black families and anyone who dared to help them. The timeline overlaps with the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, which plays a pivotal role in the plot. This historical backdrop makes the characters' personal dramas feel even more intense.
Sophia
Sophia
2025-07-01 03:21:43
Digging into 'Call Your Daughter Home' feels like opening a time capsule from 1924-1929 South Carolina. The novel masterfully weaves together three women's lives against this transformative decade. You've got Gertrude, a poor white mother barely surviving in the swamps, whose story exposes the raw desperation of sharecroppers. Then there's Retta, one of the first generation of free Black women working as a maid, navigating the minefield of Jim Crow laws. The third perspective comes from Annie, an upper-class woman whose family fortune is crumbling along with the old plantation system.

The historical context is everything here. The story drops you right into Prohibition-era America, where bootleggers operate openly and church ladies pretend not to notice. You'll encounter the early days of electric lighting in wealthy homes while most still use oil lamps. The agricultural economy's collapse forms a constant undercurrent - you can practically smell the failed crops and feel the bank foreclosures looming. What makes this period setting special is how it captures the moment when centuries-old Southern traditions started colliding with modern ideas about race, class, and gender roles.
Amelia
Amelia
2025-07-04 05:58:02
As someone who devours historical fiction, I appreciate how 'Call Your Daughter Home' plants you firmly in 1920s South Carolina with all its contradictions. This isn't the glamorous Roaring Twenties of flapper dresses - it's the rural reality where most people didn't have indoor plumbing. The novel starts around 1925 when the Boll Weevil infestation was destroying cotton crops, pushing already struggling families to breaking point. You see characters dealing with the aftermath of World War I, with veterans suffering what we'd now call PTSD but back then was just 'shell shock' they were supposed to tough out.

The timeline cleverly incorporates real events like the 1926 Miami hurricane and the lead-up to the Great Depression. What's fascinating is how the author shows technology changing daily life - characters marvel at things like store-bought dresses and pre-made medicine while still relying on folk remedies. The racial dynamics feel particularly authentic, showing how the Klan's resurgence affected both Black and poor white communities differently. The story's climax coincides with the 1928 election, where Hoover's promises of prosperity rang hollow for these characters. It's this attention to historical detail that makes their personal journeys so powerful.
View All Answers
Scan code to download App

Related Books

A Place To Call Home
A Place To Call Home
Cailen has only one wish. To have a family he could belong to and a home to call his. ***** At thirteen, Cailen had been to different foster homes, each of them returning him for one reason or another. His heart had already taken so much rejection that hopelessness had set in, giving up on himself and shutting down, that even when a family does welcome him and love him, he still has his doubts. When Cailen returns from University to visit his family, he finds himself struggling to keep a secret that he knows will make him lose the only home and family that he has. Will Cailen lose himself? Or will he lose his family?
10
121 Chapters
Trapped in place
Trapped in place
Avalin is a 22 year old who has never had sex and can not begin to know we’re to start. She has never wanted to have sex and has been content with that. Avalin works at a lingerie store and has seen the rich and famous and those scrounging for enough to buy one bra. On this particular Wednesday a women walks in with her daughter and needed two sets of lingerie. “Honey it doesn’t matter if you like the lingerie what matters is that he likes it.” The mother said. “But mom, I don’t even know Mr. Kenway.” “Shut up Eveline, you will get him to sleep with you and get pregnant. Then we can live the lives we want.” The mother said well paying the bill and turning to walk out. This was not the first time Avalin has heard of someone buying lingerie to get there daughter to try and trap Mr.Kenway. Avalin reached for the phone to call the Kenway residence. “Kenway residence.” Avalin has called multiple times to give information so that Mr.Kenway didn’t get trapped. However this was the first time she’s heard this voice. It is more gruff and sullen than the cranky man who usually answers the phone. “Eveline Perry, will try to trap Mr.Kenway on Friday. She will drug his drink at Sky Bar after his dinner meeting.” “How do you know about my dinner meeting?” Mr.Kenway said. Avalin hung up the phone as quick as possible.
Not enough ratings
26 Chapters
HOME SWEET HOME
HOME SWEET HOME
Love comes together starting from passion and love for food, Katherine Manson has a strong dream, a desire to escape from her father's too big shadow. The chance meeting between Katherine and Freddy Howling - Communications Director of Howling Company changed her life to a new page. The emotional seeds planted by Freddy's tenderness and warmth make Katherine realize that he is her true love. But the relationship between the two was denied by Lance Howling - Chairman of Howling Corporation and also Freddy's brother. It seems that between Katherine and Lance there is a hidden relationship, buried deep in the subconscious of both. Freddy gradually discovers that his brother's feelings for Katherine are not simply hate. What will all three of them be? Especially when Freddy was forever separated from Katherine in a traffic accident.
Not enough ratings
9 Chapters
Home
Home
Running is the only life that Lilly has ever known. She along with her Mother, Aunt and Cousin are in grave danger. They are hiding a secret and are being hunted. If they are found, it would mean certain death for all of them. Running out of options, Lilly and her family are forced to return to the town that her mother and aunt were raised in. This town should ensure their safety but at what cost? This town is not all that it seems and secrets are lurking everywhere even in Lilly's own family. The most dangerous secret may lay in the heart of certain dark haired boy that can't seem to leave Lilly alone. Will Lilly finally find a home for her family or will she be forced to run again?
10
53 Chapters
Home
Home
Kakeru is a 23-year-old who has been living with his older brother's family for a few years now. His daily life oscillates between work and a very warm home where he is so well-taken care of that he has been spoilt. Moreover, his three-year-old niece is rambunctious and expressive enough that he is kept forever entertained and feels needed. The household is always lively and welcoming, which Kakeru attributes to being the reason for his prolonged stay and for his older brother's best friend Hiromitsu's regular visits. "We were two stray souls who had been taken in by this loving young family." However, he feels that it is time to move into a place of his own because he is now an "adult". Nevertheless, life is as perfect as he would have wanted it to be- all up till certain incidents leave him questioning the very ideal home and relationships he had let himself believe in.
10
52 Chapters
Take Me
Take Me
"One more step and I will make you regret" He hissed with his burning gaze on me. My body stiffened and I remained still at the same place. His threatening words choked me. I pitied myself for how helpless I'd become. But my intrusive thoughts said otherwise, what if I didn't listen to him and ran further away from him? I felt a pair of hands rise to my shoulder. My breath became unstable feeling his skin on me. "Good girl" he hushed in my ear letting out a silent gasp due the surprise act of his. I think I have just let my mind win over the fear I had for him. ~~~~~~~~~ Aster Di Fazio gets tangled into an arranged marriage with the heir of one the wealthiest families, Adagio Amato-the most feared and filthy rich. He never goes against his parents and hates the idea of commitment. As for Aster, she was a simple girl with a loving heart. She has always been under her parent's shield and was showered with love and comfort-a heart of generosity and happiness. They're opposite to each other in every way possible, but they carry the same last name. This marriage didn't look promising and every member of their family knew that. It is no more than a contract after which all of it will be burned and blown away with wind. Well, that's what everyone thought.
10
26 Chapters

Related Questions

Does 'Call Your Daughter Home' Have A Movie Adaptation?

3 answers2025-06-30 11:25:52
I've been following 'Call Your Daughter Home' since its release, and as far as I know, there's no movie adaptation yet. The novel's rich historical setting in 1924 South Carolina and its intense emotional drama would make for a fantastic film, but nothing's been announced. The story follows three women from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in unexpected ways, dealing with themes of motherhood, racial tension, and survival. Hollywood often takes years to adapt books, if they do at all. For now, fans should enjoy the powerful prose - Deb Spera's writing paints such vivid scenes that you can practically see the cotton fields and smell the sweat of the characters. If you want something similar on screen, try 'The Help' or 'Fried Green Tomatoes' for that Southern historical drama fix.

Where Can I Buy 'Call Your Daughter Home' By Deb Spera?

3 answers2025-06-30 23:25:39
I’ve got my copy of 'Call Your Daughter Home' from a local bookstore last year, and it was such a gripping read. If you’re looking to buy it, your best bets are major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble—they usually have both paperback and Kindle versions in stock. For those who prefer supporting indie shops, Bookshop.org connects you to local stores while shipping straight to your door. Libraries often carry it too if you want to borrow first. Pro tip: check used book sites like ThriftBooks for deals; I’ve snagged hardcovers there for under $5. The audiobook, narrated by the author, is also worth considering if you’re into immersive storytelling.

Is 'Call Your Daughter Home' Based On A True Story?

3 answers2025-06-30 18:52:01
I read 'Call Your Daughter Home' last summer and was struck by how authentic it felt. While it's not a direct retelling of real events, the author Deborah Spera drew heavily from historical facts and her own family history to create this compelling story. Set in 1920s South Carolina, the novel captures the brutal realities of sharecropping, racial tensions, and women's struggles during that era with frightening accuracy. The hurricane that plays a pivotal role in the plot was inspired by actual storms that devastated the region. What makes it feel so true is how Spera weaves together these historical elements with emotionally raw characters who could have walked right out of history books.

How Does 'Call Your Daughter Home' Explore Motherhood Themes?

3 answers2025-06-30 15:26:38
The novel 'Call Your Daughter Home' digs deep into the raw, messy reality of motherhood through three very different women. Gertrude, a poor white mother in 1920s South Carolina, shows how desperation can twist love—she kills her abusive husband to protect her kids, becoming both their savior and their burden. Annie, a wealthy plantation owner’s wife, grapples with the emptiness of performative motherhood; her polished exterior hides grief over a dead child and a strained relationship with her surviving daughter. The most striking is Retta, a Black midwife who’s mothered countless children but lost her own. Her quiet strength reveals how motherhood isn’t always biological—it’s the act of showing up, even when society denies you the title. The book doesn’t romanticize; it shows mothers as flawed, fierce, and sometimes failures, bound by love but crushed by circumstances.

Who Are The Main Female Characters In 'Call Your Daughter Home'?

3 answers2025-06-30 23:47:23
The main female characters in 'Call Your Daughter Home' are three unforgettable women whose lives collide in 1920s South Carolina. Gertrude Pardee is a struggling mother of four who's barely surviving in the swamps, desperate to protect her daughters from starvation and abuse. Annie Coles is a wealthy plantation owner's wife who appears to have it all, but hides dark secrets and a crumbling marriage. The third is Retta Bootle, a Black midwife who serves both white and Black families, navigating the dangerous racial tensions of the era while carrying her own heavy burdens. These women's stories intertwine in unexpected ways, showing how courage and resilience can emerge from the most difficult circumstances. Gertrude's raw survival instincts contrast sharply with Annie's polished but hollow existence, while Retta's quiet strength bridges both worlds. The novel explores how these women defy societal expectations to reclaim their power.

Where In Canada Does Cassie BookTok Call Home?

4 answers2025-05-09 21:49:31
Cassie BookTok, a beloved figure in the online book community, calls the vibrant city of Toronto, Canada, her home. Toronto, known for its diverse culture and thriving arts scene, provides the perfect backdrop for someone as passionate about literature as Cassie. The city’s numerous bookstores, literary events, and cozy cafes make it a haven for book lovers. Cassie often shares glimpses of her life in Toronto, from exploring indie bookshops to attending author signings, which adds a personal touch to her content. Her connection to the city is evident in her posts, where she frequently highlights local literary spots and events. Toronto’s dynamic atmosphere and rich literary culture undoubtedly inspire Cassie’s creativity and love for books, making it the ideal home for her. Moreover, Cassie’s presence in Toronto allows her to connect with a wide range of readers and creators, fostering a sense of community within the BookTok world. The city’s multicultural environment also influences her reading recommendations, as she often features diverse authors and stories. Cassie’s love for Toronto shines through in her content, making her not just a BookTok star but also a proud ambassador of the city’s literary scene.

What To Call Your Girlfriend

1 answers2025-02-10 07:48:23
The right name for your girlfriend can be both joy and challenge. After all that is a term full of affection endearment. If your girlfriend has a feminine and delicate aura classic pet names such as 'honey', 'sweetheart' or 'darling' are good ideas. They are classical and universally admired, giving off the kind of romantic feelings which never grow old. If she's vibrant and full spectacular of life, why not try some names like 'sunshine' or 'starlight'? These names are mirrors orientated around the theme of joy - still reflect happiness and luster she brings into your life just like sun and stars do to our earth. Have a woman who leads a difficult

What To Do On A Call When Bored

3 answers2025-03-20 21:07:01
When I'm on a call and feeling bored, I like to switch things up a bit. I've started talking about random topics that I know my friend will find interesting, like our favorite movies or recent shows we've watched. Sometimes, I even play a quick game like 20 Questions to bring some energy into the conversation. If my friend is up for it, we can cook something together over the phone while sharing tips and laughs. Keeping it light and fun really helps pass the time!
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status