THE PHILADELPHIAN

by Richard Powell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 1956

Three generations of social ambition resulted in Anthony Judeon Lawrence; his great grandmother came over on the boat-to bear an illegitimate child, of first family paternity, alone; his grandmother, determined to marry well, made a calculated play for a schoolmaster; his mother, the protege of a wealthy woman, married her unstable son who suicides on his wedding night and left only his name to Tony who wins scholarships to the right schools, and in exchange for the girl he loves secures the sponsorship of an important name through law school. But the war leaves Tony, although with connections, without the important client which will establish him and enable him to make the right marriage. A delicate, devious manoeuver assures him a prized account, a partnership, and Grace; a murder case puts Philadelphia society (and Grace's family) on trial and he is able to skirt it successfully; but finally he is left to choose between his self-respect, and the status it has taken so long to achieve....A substantial narrative, Mr. Powell works in many of the staples in the Philadelphia story (pride, prejudice, privilege); he writes about them readably, if without much style.

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 1956

ISBN: 0937548626

Page Count: -

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1956

Categories: FICTION