
The Season
A Social History of the Debutante
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Narrated by:
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Cassandra Campbell
Kristen Richardson, from a family of debutantes, chose not to debut. But as her curiosity drove her to research this enduring custom, she learned that it, and debutantes, are not as simple as they seem.
The story begins in England 600 years ago when wealthy fathers needed an efficient way to find appropriate husbands for their daughters. Elizabeth I's exclusive presentations at her court expanded into London's full season of dances, dinners, and courting, extending eventually to the many corners of the British empire and beyond.
Richardson traces the social seasons of young women on both sides of the Atlantic, from Georgian England to colonial Philadelphia, from the Antebellum South and Wharton's New York back to England. She delves into Jazz Age debuts, carnival balls in the American South, and the reimagined ritual of elite African-American communities.
The Season shares the captivating stories of these young women, often through their words from diaries, letters, and interviews that Richardson conducted at contemporary balls. The debutantes give voice to an array of complex feelings about being put on display, about the young men they meet, and about what their future in society or as wives might be.
©2019 Kristen Richardson (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded BooksListeners also enjoyed...




















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Couldn’t wait to have it end
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
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NOT a novel, but a written documentary of the history and value of female children on the cusp of becoming women.
I was taught that women had "no value" until we started claiming it for ourselves in the 20th century. This is actually incorrect. Daughters were marriageable commodities upon whom family fortunes could be rescued, lost, or enhanced.
Through the recitation of the history of court presentations, coming outs, debuts, and "charity" balls, this book documents the history of The Season and sheds light on Balls, Galas, and Debuts, in every age.
If you have any interest in social history or want a new perspective on class, feminism, or even race relations, read / listen to this book.
Fascinating!
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Well researched, focused on origins, not much information about current debuntantes
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Lovely!
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As serious as the subject
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This book was a real disappointment.
Interesting Facts But Reads Like A College Paper
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Boring
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