Steven M. Stowe is associate professor of history at Indiana University.

Impossible for a brief review to do justice to this intricately woven book, filled as it is with intriguing detail that, whatever it reveals about the collective consciousness, is guaranteed to engage the interest of any committed historian of the South. American Historical Review

• PrefaceIntroductionPart I. Ritual: Between Indulgence and ControlChapter 1. The Affair of Honor: Character and EsteemChapter 2. Courtship: Sexuality and FeelingChapter 3. Coming of Age: Duty and SatisfactionPart II. Family: The Routines of IntimacyChapter 4. The Gastons: The Treaure of OffspringChapter 5. The Lacys: The Thing, Not Its VisionChapter 6. The Kings: Waiting for FatherConclusionNotesBibliographical EssayIndex