49 pages 1 hour read

Eudora Welty

The Optimist's Daughter

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1969

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Before You Read

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Eudora Welty's The Optimist's Daughter examines themes of grief and identity with profound insight. Praised for its lyrical prose and rich character development, the novel’s nuanced portrayal of familial relationships captivates readers. However, some critics find its pace slow and the plot thin. Overall, it stands out as a deeply reflective literary work.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Optimist's Daughter?

A reader who enjoys The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty would appreciate Southern Gothic literature, character-driven narratives, and themes of grief and family dynamics. Fans of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury or Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird would find this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel compelling.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Lexile Level

880L

Book Details

Period
Southern Gothic
Themes
Life/Time: The Past
Topics
Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
History: World
Genre
American Literature
Southern Literature
Classic Fiction