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Last Curtsey

The End of the Debutantes
By Fiona MacCarthy
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Last Curtsey by Fiona MacCarthy is an engaging memoir that delves into the world of British debutantes during the mid-20th century. The book offers a personal and insightful look at the tradition of debutante balls, capturing the glitz and complexity of this fading social ritual. MacCarthy reflects on her own experience as a debutante while intertwining stories of societal change and the end of an era in British aristocracy.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the cultural history of Britain's debutante scene. The author provides a personal and insightful look into high society during the 1950s, capturing the end of a glamorous tradition with warmth and wit. It may appeal to those interested in social history and personal memoirs from a bygone era.

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Last Curtsey

A wonderful snapshot of a moment in history - the final swansong for the debutantes and an era of aristocratic British social history.

Fiona MacCarthy's Last Curtsey: The End of the Debutantes is a wonderful snapshot of a moment in history - the final swansong for the debutantes and an era of aristocratic British social history.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Once upon a time, the well-bred daughters of Britain's aristocracy took part in a female rite of passage: curtseying to the Queen. But in 1958, this ritual was coming to an end. Under pressure to shine — not least from their mothers — the girls became the focus for newspaper diarists and society photographers in a party season that stretched for months among the great houses of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Fiona MacCarthy traces the stories of the girls who curtseyed that year in Last Curtsey, and shows how their lives were to open out in often very unexpected ways. Britain itself changed irreversibly during the 1960s, and the certainties of the old order came to an end.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Last Curtsey by Fiona MacCarthy has been well received for its engaging portrayal of the final debutante season in Britain. Critics appreciate the author's ability to blend personal narrative with historical analysis, offering a vivid snapshot of a bygone era. Readers find the memoir both charming and insightful, providing an evocative account of societal changes in the 1950s.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571228607

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 May 2007

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 251g

Pages: 320

Collections

Biography & Memoir Education & Reference European History Fiona MacCarthy History & Military Non-Fiction

About the Author

With her widely acclaimed book Eric Gill, published in 1989, Fiona MacCarthy established herself as one of the leading writers of biography in Britain. This was followed by William Morris (1994), which won several literary awards including the Wolfson History Prize and was described by A.S. Byatt as 'one of the finest biographies ever published in this country.' Byron: Life and Legend (2002), was described as 'one of the great literary biographies of our time', by The Independent on Sunday. Fiona MacCarthy writes regularly for the Guardian and lives in Derbyshire.

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