BOTTOM RAIL ON TOP
By
A novel by the State Historian of Virginia about life in Tennessee before the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period. The historical background rings true; the dialogue and romance are a bit shaky. The last of a line of Southern gentleman comes to ruin through gambling, but wins freedom and honor in the war, returning to find his home and fortune gone. His community becomes a battleground for negro rights, and he loses caste by championing the blacks. There is a limited market for it -- but not a general one.