Non-Fiction#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| From Pigtails to Wedding Bells |
1977 |
Buy |
Plantation Trilogy Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Deep Summer |
1937 |
Buy |
| Keskikesä |
1937 |
N/A |
| Tammikuja |
1938 |
N/A |
| The Handsome Road |
1938 |
Buy |
| This Side of Glory |
1940 |
Buy |
| Uudet tuulet |
1940 |
N/A |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Tomorrow is Forever |
1943 |
Buy |
| Jubilee Trail |
1950 |
Buy |
| Celia Garth |
1959 |
Buy |
| Calico Palace |
1970 |
Buy |
| Golden Dreams |
1980 |
Buy |
| The Invisible Host |
2020 |
Buy |
| The Gutenberg Murders |
2020 |
Buy |
| The Mardi Gras Murders |
2020 |
Buy |
| Two and Two Make Twenty-Two |
2020 |
Buy |
Gwen Bristow was born in South Carolina and spent much of her life in Louisiana, settings that shaped her most popular novels. Her Plantation Trilogy (1937-1940) follows several generations of a Louisiana planter family from the colonial period through the Civil War and Reconstruction. The three books, Deep Summer, The Handsome Road, and This Side of Glory, were popular with readers who enjoyed multi-generational family sagas.
Her later standalone novels ranged across American history. Tomorrow is Forever (1943) dealt with the aftermath of World War I, Jubilee Trail (1950) followed a young bride on the wagon trail to California, and Celia Garth (1959) was set during the American Revolution in Charleston. She also co-wrote several mystery novels early in her career, which were reissued in 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Gwen Bristow written?
Gwen Bristow has written sixteen books across three series.
What was Gwen Bristow's first book?
Gwen Bristow’s first book is Deep Summer, published in 1937.
What is Gwen Bristow best known for?
Bristow is best known for Jubilee Trail (1950), a historical novel about the California Gold Rush that became a bestseller and was adapted into a 1954 film. Her Plantation Trilogy, set on a Louisiana plantation from the 1700s through the Civil War, is also widely read.