Project Gutenberg 1996-03-01 Public domain in the USA. 228 Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell) 1858 1932 The House Behind the Cedars Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_Behind_the_Cedars_(book) Produced by Charles Keller. HTML version by Al Haines. "The House Behind the Cedars" by Charles W. Chesnutt is a novel written during the late 19th century. The story unfolds in the aftermath of the Civil War, focusing on themes of race, identity, and social status in the Reconstruction South. The primary characters introduced are John Warwick, a young man returning to his hometown of Patesville, North Carolina, and his sister Rena, whose lives are complicated by their heritage and personal aspirations as they navigate their identities in a society deeply divided along racial lines. At the start of the book, Warwick arrives in Patesville, reflecting on the changes the town has undergone since his departure. He is drawn to a striking young woman, whom he later identifies as Rena, his sister, who has blossomed during his absence. The narrative paints a vivid picture of the town's post-war environment, filled with both nostalgia and the scars of conflict. During his exploration, Warwick grapples with memories of his past and his family's complicated legacy. His immediate concern shifts as he learns of Rena's aspirations and the societal obstacles they face. Their reunion sets up a mix of familial bonds and the hurdles of social acceptance in a changing world, laying the groundwork for the struggles that will accompany Rena's journey as she steps into a new life with Warwick’s guidance in a society wary of their shared history. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 76.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Didactic fiction Psychological fiction Domestic fiction African Americans -- Fiction Southern States -- Fiction Passing (Identity) -- Fiction African American women -- Fiction Racism -- Fiction Racially mixed people -- Fiction PS Text African American Writers Category: Novels Category: American Literature 451892 2025-07-01T05:29:59.461841 text/html 438614 2021-01-01T08:42:43 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 165204 2021-01-01T08:42:43 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 application/zip 243588 2025-07-01T05:30:06.723806 application/epub+zip 251379 2025-07-01T05:30:01.999860 application/epub+zip 249171 2025-07-01T05:30:00.899837 application/epub+zip 404048 2025-07-01T05:30:10.312802 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 389030 2025-07-01T05:30:06.040791 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 360609 2022-09-01T06:00:08.783758 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 416494 2025-07-01T05:29:58.715851 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 416311 2021-01-01T08:42:43 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 162491 2021-01-01T08:42:43 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 21428 2025-07-01T05:30:10.452776 application/rdf+xml 9825 2025-07-01T05:30:01.398894 image/jpeg 2664 2025-07-01T05:30:01.146847 image/jpeg 236111 2025-07-01T05:29:59.497822 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia