The Keepers of the House

A Pulitzer Prize–winning novel about prejudice and family secrets in the American South. Seven generations of the Howland family have lived in their Alabama plantation home, built by an ancestor who fought in the War of 1812. Over a century, the Howlands accumulated wealth, fought for secession, and helped rebuild the South, becoming one of the state's most respected families. Abigail Howland, the inheritor of the family manse, carries a long-buried secret: her grandfather's thirty-year relationship with his African American mistress. When her family's mixed-race heritage becomes public knowledge, her community—shaped by the prejudices of the 1960s—rejects her. Facing deep-seated racism, Abigail is driven to defend her family at any cost. The novel explores family, tradition, and racial injustice against the backdrop of the American South. This ebook includes an illustrated biography of Shirley Ann Grau with rare photos and never-before-seen documents from her personal collection.