Thomas and Beal in the Midi: A Novel

Christopher Tilghman returns to the saga of the Mason and Bayly families in Thomas and Beal in the Midi, 23 years after Mason's Retreat and six years after The Right-Hand Shore. Thomas and Beal escape to France, where Beal enchants everyone she meets in Paris and the Languedoc. This novel is a moving and delicate portrait of a highly unusual marriage, exploring the legacy of slavery and the Civil War.

Format: Hardback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 16 April 2019
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc

After a hiatus of twenty-three years since the publication of his acclaimed novel Mason's Retreat and six years since The Right-Hand Shore, Christopher Tilghman returns to the captivating saga of the Mason and Bayly families in Thomas and Beal in the Midi. Thomas Bayly, accompanied by his wife, Beal, embarks on a daring escape from the laws and prejudices of post-Reconstruction America, seeking solace in the picturesque landscapes of France. The drama unfolds in two distinct settings: first in the vibrant city of Paris, where Thomas and Beal begin a new life as winemakers, and then in the picturesque Languedoc, where they cultivate their passion for wine. Beal, a captivating and indelible figure, enchants everyone she encounters in this foreign land, including a group of artists in the Latin Quarter upon their arrival in Paris. However, as they transition to the beautiful and rugged Languedoc, she finds herself torn between the freedoms she experienced in Paris and the longing for the farm life she believed she had left behind in America. Thomas and Beal in the Midi is a profound and delicate portrayal of a unique marriage, offering a profound insight into the central dilemma of American history—the enduring legacy of slavery and the Civil War—while exploring the myriad ways in which the past continues to shape the present.

After a hiatus of twenty-three years since the publication of his acclaimed novel Mason's Retreat and six years since The Right-Hand Shore, Christopher Tilghman returns to the captivating saga of the Mason and Bayly families in Thomas and Beal in the Midi. Thomas Bayly, accompanied by his wife, Beal, embarks on a daring escape from the laws and prejudices of post-Reconstruction America, seeking solace in the picturesque landscapes of France. The drama unfolds in two distinct settings: first in the vibrant city of Paris, where Thomas and Beal begin a new life as winemakers, and then in the picturesque Languedoc, where they cultivate their passion for wine. Beal, a captivating and indelible figure, enchants everyone she encounters in this foreign land, including a group of artists in the Latin Quarter upon their arrival in Paris. However, as they transition to the beautiful and rugged Languedoc, she finds herself torn between the freedoms she experienced in Paris and the longing for the farm life she believed she had left behind in America. Thomas and Beal in the Midi is a profound and delicate portrayal of a unique marriage, offering a profound insight into the central dilemma of American history—the enduring legacy of slavery and the Civil War—while exploring the myriad ways in which the past continues to shape the present.

Weight: 608g
Dimension: 165 x 236 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780374276522