The Story of Duciehurst: A Tale of the Mississippi

"The Story of Duciehurst: A Tale of the Mississippi" by Charles Egbert Craddock is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative is set against the backdrop of the Mississippi River and revolves around the stranded steamboat "Cherokee Rose" and the lives of several passengers, particularly focusing on the complicated relationships and tensions among them. The central characters presented include the affluent but discontented Mr. Floyd-Rosney, his wife, and the Ducie brothers, with themes of wealth, social status, and hidden pasts beginning to unfold. At the start of the novel, the "Cherokee Rose" finds itself stuck on a sand-bar in the Mississippi River, creating an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty among the passengers. The scene introduces Mr. Floyd-Rosney, whose discontent with the situation reflects deeper issues within his marriage as his wife, Mrs. Floyd-Rosney, reveals hints of a complicated backstory involving the Ducies. The young man, Adrian Ducie, encounters an old acquaintance across the deck as the conversations bring in light unexpected connections and tensions, particularly when the subject of past relationships and fortunes comes to the forefront. As passengers engage in spirited discussions amid their predicament, the stage is set for unraveling not just the physical challenges posed by the river but also the emotional and social dynamics among the characters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Mary Noailles Murfree was an American author of novels and short stories who wrote under the pen name Charles Egbert Craddock. She is considered by many to be Appalachia's first significant female writer and her work a necessity for the study of Appalachian literature, although a number of characters in her work reinforce negative stereotypes about the region. She has been favorably compared to Bret Harte and Sarah Orne Jewett, creating post-Civil War American local-color literature.