The Last Days of Dogtown: A Novel
Anita Diamant
Sep 2005 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Kate Nelligan
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10 hr 17 min
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“An excellent novel. A lovely and moving portrait of society’s outcasts…affirms the essential humanity of its poor and stubborn residents, for whom each day of survival is a victory.” —The New York Times Book Review
A haunting historical novel of 19th-century New England from the bestselling author of The Red Tent, The Last Days of Dogtown brings a forgotten Massachusetts community vividly to life.
Set on the high ground at the heart of Cape Ann in the early 1800s, the village of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and “witches.”
Among the inhabitants of this isolated coastal community are Black Ruth, who dresses as a man and works as a stonemason; Mrs. Stanley, an imperious madam whose grandson, Sammy, comes of age in her brothel; Oliver Younger, who survives a miserable childhood at the hands of his aunt; and Cornelius Finson, a freed slave. At the center of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent soul, deeply lonely, who nonetheless builds a life for herself against all imaginable odds.
Rendered in stunning, haunting detail, with Anita Diamant’s keen ear for language and profound compassion for her characters, The Last Days of Dogtown is an extraordinary retelling of a long-forgotten chapter of early American life—a literary historical novel of hardship, resilience, and community among people living on society’s margins.
A haunting historical novel of 19th-century New England from the bestselling author of The Red Tent, The Last Days of Dogtown brings a forgotten Massachusetts community vividly to life.
Set on the high ground at the heart of Cape Ann in the early 1800s, the village of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and “witches.”
Among the inhabitants of this isolated coastal community are Black Ruth, who dresses as a man and works as a stonemason; Mrs. Stanley, an imperious madam whose grandson, Sammy, comes of age in her brothel; Oliver Younger, who survives a miserable childhood at the hands of his aunt; and Cornelius Finson, a freed slave. At the center of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent soul, deeply lonely, who nonetheless builds a life for herself against all imaginable odds.
Rendered in stunning, haunting detail, with Anita Diamant’s keen ear for language and profound compassion for her characters, The Last Days of Dogtown is an extraordinary retelling of a long-forgotten chapter of early American life—a literary historical novel of hardship, resilience, and community among people living on society’s margins.
“An excellent novel. A lovely and moving portrait of society’s outcasts…affirms the essential humanity of its poor and stubborn residents, for whom each day of survival is a victory.” —The New York Times Book Review
A haunting historical novel of 19th-century New England from the bestselling aut...
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About the author
Anita Diamant is the bestselling author of The Red Tent, The Boston Girl, Good Harbor, The Last Days of Dogtown, and Day After Night, as well as the essay collection Pitching My Tent. An award-winning journalist, her work has appeared in The Boston Globe Magazine, Parenting, and other publications. She is also the author of six nonfiction guides to contemporary Jewish life. She lives in Massachusetts. Visit her website at AnitaDiamant.com.
Kate Nelligan received Tony nominations for her performances in Spoils of War, Serious Money, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Plenty, for which she also received the Olivier Award in London. Her films include How to Make an American Quilt, The Prince of Tides (Oscar nom), Frankie and Johnny (DW Griffith & British Academy Awards), Fatal Instinct, Eye of the Needle, Eleni, and White Room. She received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the television series The Road to Avonlea.
Kate Nelligan received Tony nominations for her performances in Spoils of War, Serious Money, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Plenty, for which she also received the Olivier Award in London. Her films include How to Make an American Quilt, The Prince of Tides (Oscar nom), Frankie and Johnny (DW Griffith & British Academy Awards), Fatal Instinct, Eye of the Needle, Eleni, and White Room. She received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the television series The Road to Avonlea.
Anita Diamant is the bestselling author of The Red Tent, The Boston Girl, Good Harbor, The Last Days of Dogtown, and Day After Night, as well as the essay collection Pitching My Tent. An award-winning journalist, her work has appeared in The Boston Globe Magazine, Parenting, and other publication...
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