L' adieu au sud

the long version

Part 5 of Denuzière's chronicle of a family of planters, the Damvilliers, that spans the period between 1830 until the end of World War II. The final book of the saga, "L'adieu au sud," is set between 1929 and 1945. The land of bayous, during the Great Depression, is subject to the dictatorship of Huey Pierce Long, colorful politician. The Louisianians try to survive despite the fourteen million unemployed, the riots, the Bonus Army and the slow disintegration of Southern principles. We are witnessing the end of Prohibition, the rise of commercial aviation, the creation of the great musicals. Osmond of Vigors, worthy successor to the Cavaliers, whose prototype is Dandrige Clarence, former steward of the plantation, is surrounded by three young women: Liz Bogen, black artist, Cordelia Murray, rich flapper New York, Doris Castel-Brajac, granddaughter of Uncle Gus. Faced with the progress, the evolution of morals, the aspirations of new generations, and engagement in World War II, he also moves away from a South now unrecognizable. The portrait of Virginia, the unforgettable Dame of Bagatelle, will remain the legendary symbol of a vanished world.