Galveston

by Suzanne Morris

A powerful and absorbing story of three women whose lives shaped—and were inevitably shaped by—the success and failure of a city; a story that strangely parallels the intriguing history of this island of lost dreams.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical

612 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1976

Reviews

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read, the more I grew to appreciate Suzanne Morris’s writing voice in this novel. Galveston’s geographic location as well as its history plays a role. All I knew of Galveston before came from Glen Campbell’s song by the same name, an iconic pop song that became a hit in 1969. This story definitely fleshed out some details, a quiet town battered by nature with a port business at risk from Houston’s dredging of a larger shipping channel. Claire and Charles Decker have moved to Galveston from Grady, Texas, so Charles will be better positioned for his career in law.

“It was little more than a year later that he took me far away from Grady and brought me here to Galveston: the city of stairs.

Now, most people who know Galveston will remark on the coolness of its Gulf breeze, the length of its sandy beaches, the state of its port. I shall always think of the blood rising to my head as I climb the stairs, and the sinister sinking feeling which comes over me as I descend them.”

Claire has married Charles, but her heart really belonged to Charles’s brother, Damon, and that is the hub of the wheel that turns this narrative. One of its themes is passion versus dispassion and how much you can know and trust your partner. It is about three women, Claire, Serena, and Willa, whose lives intersect in ways that will not be fully revealed until the story’s end. Claire’s story takes place over nine years from 1877 to 1886. Janet and Rubin Garret have moved in next door. Rubin is the new pastor at St. Christopher’s Church and reminds Claire (in appearance) of her lost love, Damon. Janet is somewhat frail, an artist inclined to write poetry, not fully invested in the church.

Serena’s part in this novel was my favorite. Her story takes place over one summer in 1899, on the cusp of a new century. Her romance with Roman Cruz is well told. He is a musician in a band, older, and with a reputation of igniting summer flings only to disappear at summer’s end. Will he break Serena’s heart? Claire lives next door to Serena and has taken on the guardianship of a young cousin, James. The easy friendship between fourteen-year-old James and nineteen-year-old Serena is special. James has just lost both of his parents and Serena becomes a friend at an important juncture in James’s life. With his spectacles and aura of isolation, James presents a nerdy target for other kids in the community. Serena’s beloved dog, Porky, a gift from her Uncle Charles, also becomes a lifeline for James.

The last story belongs to Willa and takes place over six days in December 1920. She is a strong-minded young lady trying to figure out what love in a relationship means. Intimacy terrifies her, sometimes her emotions seem frozen as if life is happening to others and she is only an observer.

This story has the hallmarks of a Greek tragedy. Claire’s flaw is manipulation and deceit. Serena’s flaw is her lack of experience and her failure to communicate with her father. Serena did try to communicate with her father once but gave up too easily. With so much riding on outcomes, she should have tried again and more persuasively. Willa’s flaw is her frozen emotions. Claire and Serena’s fortunes are hitched to their men, although Serena has dreams of becoming an accomplished dancer. By 1920, women are starting to gain more independence, and Willa’s story reflects this. I enjoyed the strength of this author’s writing and the intricacy with which she weaves a clever puzzle. The denouement is a masterful reveal.

A few things that left me unsatisfied were wanting to know more about Charles’s interior world, and a feeling of emptiness when I met James as an adult character. I suppose this is the result of first-person women characters… this feeling of being a little short-changed on the viewpoint of the men. The ending was a little too abrupt after all the illuminating reveals, but I heartily enjoyed this author’s writing voice.

[Diane Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book against my better instincts, which is the reason I'm even giving it two stars. The first section was disconcerting, the second section boring and repetitive, and the third section just logistically confusing. The ending was rushed with too many explanations of past events that contradicted each other. I admit to skimming a fair amount.

Was this a Gothic romance, a mystery or a description of Galveston before and after the hurricane? Who knows? I won't be reading any more by this author.

[Nikki Omillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pure enjoyment. The story revolves around three women who live along the Gulf Coast. You sense something dark and tragic with the first woman that is introduced and by the time the second woman's story is told, you recognize the first woman to be wicked at heart. When the third character was introduced, I was growing tired with the changing story line but Morris expertly tied all three ladies together. The main criticism that I had with this novel is that it put all the characters out of the time frame of the Hurricane of 1900, which to me is that most memorable and tragic event to ever hit the Texas Gulf Coast region. Morris does however reference the storm with her last character but I thought it would have made an even greater story line had the character experienced the storm first hand. Many of the buildings mentioned in this story are still around in the historic city and many of the big named people who helped establish the town, is buried in cemeteries around the town. Morris did include into her story the great fire that broke out among the strand in the late 1800s and did a wonderful job describing the calamity and suffering it brought to the boom town of the South. Particularly inspiring is how Morris showed the strength of the people of Galveston as it rose itself up and emerged from the fire stronger and ready to embrace the economic blessings that was coming it's way. This is one of my favorite beach reads, especially if you're lying on a beach in Galveston. If you travel to Galveston, this book is a must read for an entertaining way to learn about the town 19s great history.

[Aimeslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to lose themselves in a tale of fate. The characters are so well-drawn that they haunt me still. And the beauty of Galveston's yesteryear shines through, too. A great historical romance.

I freely admit, the author is one of my friends, as in real, physical friends, not cyber friends. I've known her for 20 years. Same church. And yes, Episcopal. (Ya kinda haveta read the book to get that joke).

[Susan Liston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always feel a bit of trepidation when I reread a book I loved at one time but haven't reread for years, and this is one. I remembered nothing of the plot, just the atmosphere, which is Galveston in the late 1800s and the gingerbready Victorian houses on the beach. Unfortunately the story didn't hold up for me. The story is divided into three sections, all with different narrators. I did enjoy the first section. The second was the old saw, a young woman is being thrown together with some boring but proper young man while she lusts after a "bad boy" that she has been FORBIDDEN to see, blah blah. Then the third section jumps to a new location, in the 1920s, and its sort of sad and depressing and I wondered why on earth you would write a book in Galveston that goes up to 1899 and then just skip the hurricane of 1900? It's barely mentioned. Overall, just not sure what I saw in this one.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about 3 generations of women with Galveston being the hub for the story. It's historical fiction about love, deceit, ego and fate. I became immersed in the lives of Claire, Serene and Willa. Spiteful Claire is in a loveless marriage; Sweet Serene cares for her invalid mother and finds love with a traveling musician and feisty Willa is searching for who she is. This is a really good read and I found it hard to put down.

[Heather Alderman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more like 3.5 stars. The research into the history of Galveston and historical retelling was fantastic. The story was broken into three parts with related people at different times continuing the story. I really enjoyed the first one which spanned several years and included a lot of the history of the island in the mid- to late-1800s. The other 2 stories fell a bit flat for me as they covered a much shorter time period and didn't convey the history that I enjoyed n the first part.

[Lakeside Cabin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It takes a while to unravel the relationships between the three main characters; and parts of it actually surprised me, which was refreshing. As a lifelong resident of the Houston area, I particularly enjoyed the detail with which the author described locations in Houston and Galveston. Great read!

[Lisa Roper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for Galveston and Houston residents or anyone who has fascination with Galveston. Thoroughly enjoyed this, well written, absorbing and one that I will keep to read again! Well written, characters well defined, this book has it all. Great summetime read!

[Leisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one years ago, and it’s still on my mind. I need to re-read.

[Paula-O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Galveston written by Suzanne E Morris

I found this book at a thrift shoppe. I lived in Galveston in the 60's this book was written in the 70's so I picked it up to read....
This author told of three women whose lives were intertwined and so much went on in Texas in the early 1900's. Many will remember the huge storm that all but destroyed thousands and most of Galveston.

Claire was the first and she married a man that she did not love which seemed to start a lot of happenings that might not have happened had she not.
I found this woman to be for self more then others and her choices reflected that.
The 2nd young woman was Serena, who grew up in Galveston and wanted to be a great dancer, she took lessons for a very long time. She always thought there was more to who she was then she knew, her Mother was an invalid after an accident and she cared for her losing much of being a child. She meets a young man who is in a band and becomes infatuated in him over the last summer she spent in Galveston.
Did she leave the island, did she die in the fire, a body was never found...

Willa was the last woman who had been told she was adopted but not much more and she always felt like her life was a cloudy one. She found out some things on the eve of her wedding and so she left to find her mother and herself...
Her journey will bring full circle the lives of these women and many mysteries revealed.

Many lies, secrets kept and deceit made this a story of much mystery. Like a stone thrown into waters, the circles kept moving through the lives of these women. Do you think that one person's choices can effect so many as time moves on?

[Dr. Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me so much of other books from the 70s, epic- covering multiple generations, and fatalistic. All of the loose ends were tied up at the end. After reading Susan Whittig Albert's Widow's Tears, I have been interested in reading about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane. The storm was a minor part in the every day life of the characters in this story. However, the historical descriptions of the city were woven into a story that kept my attention.

[pianogal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one got there. But I have to ask - how do write a book about Galveston around the turn of the century and only mention "the storm" in passing? Seriously - was it too much research? The rest of the story was good and I liked how the author ended it, but switching between sections got a little bumpy.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The powerful and absorbing story of people whose lives shaped and were shaped by the success and failure of a city itself. The history is all there too. Very good reading. Covers three generations.

[Lauren Dell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I was born and raised on the Island, then moved to Houston. I lived in every neighborhood the characters mentioned in this book did!! The one's in Galveston and Houston both!! I thought that was very cool!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while I was in Galveston. Saw many of the local places mentioned, well, the ones that survived. I went looking for 707 L Avenue. It wasn't there. I wanted more about the Great Storm, but this book didn't cover it. Storied lives from 3 generations.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lengthy read, but a good story. Everything was neatly wrapped up by the end of the book. And I like that.

It did jump 3 generations and that took a while to put the pieces together.

[Maureen Mantrop-utterback · Rating 5 out of 5]

probably my all time favorite book...read it every summer. and have just finished again this summer

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never forget the first time I read Galveston it was one of the most haunting stories I have ever read... it gave me chills!

[Victoria Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Suzanne Morris' books

[Katy M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give the first half of this book a 2 and the second half of 4. But, having said that, I did find the ending to be a little unsatisfactory. I'm mostly just glad it's over.

[Nancy Alderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history, but slow and predictable.

[Steve M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was talking with a friend who told me she was reading this book about the 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston and highly recommended that I read it. So I went in search of the book, but had forgotten the name of that book (Isaac's Storm) and I went to B&N and typed in "Galveston", thinking how brilliant I was to search this way and I would get the results I needed. Not a great way to find the book I was looking for. However, this book DID show up and thus, I "discovered" Suzanne Morris. I can't say I "found" her because she wasn't lost. But, by using this search, I found a true treasure of a book! THOROUGHLY amazing book!
This book compels you to read it, lures you inside the pages so easily that you find yourself over a hundred pages into it and feel like you just started reading it. You find yourself so intrigued that you have to stay with the story because these people are part of your life while you turn page after page. Suzanne Morris is a native Texan and this story is true to historical times during the 1800-1900 times. In the story she tells about a heavy snowfall in Galveston in 1886 which really happened. As you follow the story through three different women's life, you can almost find yourself in the middle of Galveston and later in Houston.
She has written several other books that sound very interesting, to say the least. I will say that I have purchased most of them because when I was looking, her books are quite inexpensive which fit into my budget much easier than most. I can only say that I will be reading more and more of her books and undoubtedly will find them to be as amazing as this one.
To summarize...Read this book!!!

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this book in 1978, a few years after its first publication. I remember that I thoroughly enjoyed it then, not so much the second read. I had completely forgotten the storyline, but I was curious, then and now, as to why one would write a novel about Galveston, where the second section ends in 1899, and not continue it on through the Great Hurricane of 1900, one of the most devastating hurricanes in history. (The third section begins in 1920.)

The first section, Claire, is basic unrequited historic romance.
The second section, Serena, is about a character vaguely referenced in the first section, and somewhat redundant throughout, in her constant rejection of the good boy, and constant secret trysts with the bad boy.
The third section, Willa, leaves one with a sense of futility for the central character and her seemingly impossible journey of self discovery. Towards this sections end, it seems the writer just got tired of the task of writing this book and tried to wrap it up as quickly as possible.

The description of the city of Galveston during the time periods involved is well researched, but the omission of the Great Hurricane of 1900 left me with an urge to find more historical information about it, which I did. I do, after all, live in Hurricane Country.

In summary, A story that was fascinating and exciting when I was 25, just became blah and lacking when I am 72.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in Galveston, so when I came across this scruffy hardcover book in a used bookstore, I couldn't resist buying it. I've never heard of the book or the author other than stumbling across this book, promoted on the cover as "spanning three generations with the historic and romantic city as backdrop" or something like that.

I actually wanted more description of Galveston places, more streets, more high society. But that's really just for my own chance to see which places from the 1880s-1899 I could place in my memory of living there 100 years later. I'm also quite surprised that a book set in this time period in Galveston chooses to entirely skip over the 1900 storm. The first section of the book spans the end of the 19th century, then jumps forward 20 years, leaving the storm to be only mentioned in passing as something that happened a while ago.

Overall, the book felt a little too long, with the final section being the most uneven. There's a character who engages in long-standing southern cruelty, but in the last section, she goes off her rocker enough that the book lost believability for me. More subtle action would have been more believable and also more interesting.

Not a bad read, but not one that likely has much interest today unless one has a particular interest in Galveston or Houston.

[Cande · Rating 1 out of 5]

Español
Igual que me pasó con la versión vieja de "Mujercitas" no leí la novela completa como aparece acá. Dado que ésta es en realidad una trilogía, yo sólo tuve acceso a la segunda parte titulada "Serena". No, simplemente no. Si bien se puede leer facilmente en un día o dos, porque es una narrativa ligera, la trama es espantosa. No tanto porque sea antigua, ni siquiera voy a criticar el machismo en que se envuelven sus personajes, es que simplemente es aburrida, predecible e insípida. Serena como personaje principal raya en lo irritante, con incesantes repeticiones y aclaraciones innecesarias, y con una actitud victimista que es bastante molesta también. Román, es un desperdicio de nombre para un personaje tan poco interesante, agradable o incluso atractivo (narrativamente hablando). Es un pedante, violento y soberbio, que además tiene una edad que expone todavía peor su incapacidad de madurar como un hombre. La "historia de amor" que debería sostener (al menos en ésta parte) el libro, es lo que peor está desarrollado. Y para nada, me resulta su final agradable.

English
Just like with the old version of "Little Women," I didn't read the complete novel as it appears here. Since this is actually a trilogy, I only had access to the second part, titled "Serena." No, simply no. While it can easily be read in a day or two because it's a light narrative, the plot is dreadful. Not so much because it's old, nor am I even going to criticize the sexism surrounding its characters; it's simply that it's boring, predictable, and bland. Serena, as the main character, borders on irritating, with incessant repetitions and unnecessary explanations, and with a victim mentality that's quite annoying as well. Roman is a wasted name for such an uninteresting, likable, or even attractive character (narratively speaking). He's pedantic, violent, and arrogant, and his age only further highlights his inability to mature as a man. The "love story" that should sustain the book (at least in this part) is the worst-developed aspect. And I certainly don't find the ending enjoyable.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually ended up enjoying this "family saga" read. These used to be my go to reads back in the day...not so much any more. Reading this made me wonder if it's really because they're just not as many being written anymore or just because too many other things catch my eye. I have been to Galveston several times and I always love it when I can remember places that are mentioned in the book. My favorite memories associated with this book are the Hotel Galvez and the Sea Wall. Anyway, the crux of the story seems to be always wanting something or someone you don't or can't have and what repercussions as caused by the responses to those wants. I though Ms. Morris did a good job of fleshing out the characters and muddling the various relationships to spring a good twist at the end.

[Janie Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read, I enjoyed the first part but it hurried up to move into the second part. I’ve visited Galveston many times and when the first part moved into 1899 I expected something about the devastating hurricane but the next thing I read it’s 1920. Then the second part begins as it ends so rather confusing. The end of part two was finally explained in part three but by then I had forgotten who was who. Anyway it was entertaining and now I need to find a new story.

[Beverley Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving it three stars because I finished it and I think anyone who ploughed through the entirety of the book deserves a medal. What started off as a riveting saga ended up as a chore. Oh my! How I wanted the story to end about 2 hours before it did. It's a shame that the unending chapters broke me till I could care no more.

[JaTonna]

I only read the first section on Claire. I was hoping this book was about women in the west (cowboy) and not about city women and their issues. It’s not my thing and this segment ended with me not carrying any more for Claire. It’s reading a protagonist and feeling bad for her but she makes bad choices only to discover you’ve been reading the villain’s story all along.