Questions About The Feast of All Saints

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I LOVE this book. I said in my brief review that it is like art. Rice writes so well it takes my breath away. But I wonder, how much of this story is true? I have tried Googling it, and to no avail. Is this a made up or exaggerated story? Or did this kind of thing really happen in New Orleans? I mean I understand the actual characters are fiction. I just mean in general.

Leonide Martin I was born in New Orleans and raised in southern Louisiana. From everything I know, Rice's portrayal of New Orleans culture in the mid-1800s is quite …moreI was born in New Orleans and raised in southern Louisiana. From everything I know, Rice's portrayal of New Orleans culture in the mid-1800s is quite accurate. It's true that free blacks owned plantations in Louisiana, and owned slaves who worked there. It's true that wealthy white planters kept mulatto mistresses and had families in the city. The quadroon balls actually took place for many years. What was so touching was the angst suffered by free men of color such as protagonist Marcel. That was a revelation just because I'd never explored their experiences at the time. I'm convinced Rice's portrayal is accurate.(less)

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