White People Paperback - 2000

From the rear cover

In these eleven stories, Allan Gurganus--author of the highly acclaimed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All--gives heartbreaking and hilarious voice to the fears, desires and triumphs of a grand cast of Americans.
Here are war heroes bewildered by the complex negotiations of family life, former debutantes called upon to muster resources they never knew they had, vacationing senior citizens confronted by their own bravery, and married men brought up short by the marvelous possibilities of entirely different lives. Written with flair, wit, and deep humanity, this award-winning volume confirms Allan Gurganus as one of the finest writers of our time.

From the jacket flap

In these eleven stories, Allan Gurganus--author of the highly acclaimed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All--gives heartbreaking and hilarious voice to the fears, desires and triumphs of a grand cast of Americans.
Here are war heroes bewildered by the complex negotiations of family life, former debutantes called upon to muster resources they never knew they had, vacationing senior citizens confronted by their own bravery, and married men brought up short by the marvelous possibilities of entirely different lives. Written with flair, wit, and deep humanity, this award-winning volume confirms Allan Gurganus as one of the finest writers of our time.

Media reviews

"Gurganus, a storyteller in the grand tradition...can tell his stories as well as anyone alive in our time." --The New York Times Book Review

"Ranging from family memoirs to historical pieces, from satire to surrealism, White People celebrates American culture in all its humanistic vibrancy and grotesque contradictions.  Blending trenchant satire with outrageous humor, Gurganus's stories recall both Mark Twain and Flannery O'Connor."--Chicago Tribune

"Each story is a gem."--San Francisco Chronicle