The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty - Softcover

Graham, Lawrence Otis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060985135 ISBN 13: 9780060985134

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2007

Synopsis

Blanche Kelso Bruce was born a slave in 1841, yet, remarkably, amassed a real-estate fortune and became the first black man to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate. He married Josephine Willson--the daughter of a wealthy black Philadelphia doctor--and together they broke down racial barriers in 1880s Washington, D.C., numbering President Ulysses S. Grant among their influential friends. The Bruce family achieved a level of wealth and power unheard of for people of color in nineteenth-century America. Yet later generations would stray from the proud Bruce legacy, stumbling into scandal and tragedy.

Drawing on Senate records, historical documents, and personal letters, author Lawrence Otis Graham weaves a riveting social history that offers a fascinating look at race, politics, and class in America.

About this title

Review:

"This book opens the door to a rich, though frustrating, period in the country's past."--New York Post

"Graham is a superb storyteller, and the Bruce dynasty perfect fodder for this gifted writer."--Amsterdam News

"A compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall...A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment...an illuminating account."--Washington Post

"Graham paints a compelling portrait of the important role Bruce played in the country's history."--Chicago Sun-Times

"Graham details the political machinations of the post-Reconstruction South and one man's attempt to build and maintain a dynasty."--Booklist

"Graham digs deep and unearths secrets in...his absorbing book on money, class and color issues."--Essence

"Informative...many striking tales. Mr. Graham is right to want to bring the story to a reading public."--Wall Street Journal

"Graham's strength is his intricate deliniation of class, color, culture and social climbing."--USA Today

"Graham...recovers the history of a family that broke barriers in Washington and at Exeter and Harvard."--The New Yorker

"A rare, detailed glimpse into politics, race, and class in post-Reconstruction America."--U.S. News & World Report

About the Author:

The author of fourteen books, including the New York Times bestseller Our Kind of People, and a contributing editor for Reader's Digest, Lawrence Otis Graham's work has also appeared in the New York Times, Essence, and The Best American Essays. He lives with his wife in Manhattan and Chappaqua, New York.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060985135
• ISBN 13: 9780060985134
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512