Pilgrimage: A Tale of Old Natchez

By Louise Wilbourn Collier

Book Overview

"Told with warmth, evoking the distinctive aura of a certain class of Southerners and the lure of a city where Walworth descendants may be found today." --Publishers Weekly

"The depiction of the antebellum years calls to mind John Jakes' best seller, North and South. Jakes' novel, however, does not depict the human issues of the time as honestly as Pilgrimage does." --Mississippi Magazine

"Collier writes of this loving home and its inhabitants with great familiarity and warmth." --Southern Living

Based upon the family history of John Walworth and author Louise Wilbourn Collier, Pilgrimage: A Tale of Old Natchez is the bittersweet saga of the family's struggle to survive the devastation of War and-even more difficult-the subsequent cultural and social changes that followed. Tracing the years from 1830 to 1930, this is a generational tale that relates not only the effect the Civil War had upon this family but also upon the historic town of Natchez and its surroundings.
The singular focus of this work is The Burn, one of Natchez's most-adored homes. A family estate for more than a century, it serves as the backdrop for the story. From its halls Collier spins her story of the ways in which the home
and its people faced the transformation as told by Aunt Clara, a war-made spinster whose purpose is to maintain the genealogical threads of the family.

Louise Wilbourn Collier was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1925. Growing up in the Great Depression and moving frequently, Ms. Collier looked to The Burn as a "true home." She married John Stuart Collier in 1953 and raised
4 children. Two decades later at the encouragement of her cousin, Margaret Wynn, Collier began to write the stories that would become Pilgrimage. With her book in its third printing and another book in consideration, she resides with
her husband in Memphis.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565540646
• ISBN13: 9781565540644
• Release Date: September 1994
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.1" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Pilgrimage; a Tale of Old Natchez

As a close friend of the author's grandson, I have become familiar with the town of Natchez and have a new respect and connection with my history as a Southerner. An incredible book to say the least. Pilgrimage is among one of my favorite books, and I must say that my grade at school has been caught up in the "splendor of the Old South in Natchez as a result of reading it! I believe all ages should read this extraordinary book as it stimulates the imagination of the reader.

A Splendid Embodiment of the Old South

As a frequent vsitor to Natchez I am well aware of its grandeur and mysterious intrigue. As the sister of Charleston, Memphis, and New Orleans, Natchez has become the symbol of steadfast glory in the Old South. Mrs. Collier has captured the story of the Walworth's in extensive detail. Based on the events which actually did occur in Natchez from the early 1830's to the 1920's. Thius fabulous novel expresses trully the joy, beauty, great tragedy, and majesty of the Walworths in the little rivertown of Natchez.

Add this historical fiction to a tour of Natchez's treasures

I loved this book about the old south and the before- and -after of the civil war. Louise Collier's personal family saga captured me and transported me back to fragrant gardens, dusty roads, magnificent mansions and a family I fell in love with. Add this to a tour of the historical homes of Natchez for a wonderful treat.