A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia

Book excerpt: Flannery OConnor spent most of her life in Georgia. Most of OConnors fiction is also set in the state, in locales rich in symbolism and the ambience of southern rural and small-town life. Filled with contemporary and historical photos, this guide introduces OConnors readers to the places where the great writer lived and worked--places whose features and details sometimes found their way into her fiction. The guide describes such places as OConnors childhood home in Savannah; the Governors Mansion, Cline House, and Central State Hospital in Milledgeville; and the family farm, Andalusia. Numerous facts about OConnor and the people closest to her are woven into the site descriptions, as are critical observations about her Catholicism, her acute sense of character and place, and her fierce sense of humor. Features include: More than fifty full-color contemporary photographs and numerous black-and-white historical images An overview and chronology of OConnors life and legacy Maps to sites in Savannah, Milledgeville, and the house and grounds at Andalusia Discussions of OConnors life and writings Listing of OConnors works and suggestions for further reading All author royalties from sales of the guide will be donated to the Flannery OConnor-Andalusia Foundation.