Carrie Welton
“Who was Carrie Welton, and why does her horse deserve a statue in a city park?” If I was allowed only 16 words for this review, I’d use those. Fortunately for readers, Carrie Welton, the historical novel which answers that facetious question, is a rich experience, and deserves a serious reading.
It’s December 1858, and fifteen-year-old Carrie Welton, the only child of a rich industrialist, races her stallion through the streets of Waterbury, Connecticut. She nearly knocks down her neighbor, Mr. Frederick Kingsbury, but the banker just shakes his head affectionately. Jay Gatsby had his admiring neighbor, Nick Carraway, to tell his story. Kingsbury is our equally-admiring witness to Carrie Welton’s tortured life.
Two decades later, Carrie has yet to settle down. Unlike most women of her age, she hasn’t found a husband. Art and poetry are interests, but not vocations. Some artists lead her into dangerous amusements, and others Carrie creates from her own restless whims. Childhood abuse by her father makes it impossible for her to be content at home.
Let me assure you that this is not a poor-little-rich-girl sob story, but a textured, penetrating portrayal of real persons and actual events. Charles Monagan writes a terrific tale in Carrie Welton, one of the smoothest reads I’ve seen in a long time. Mr. Monagan’s career as an award-winning writer and editor spans decades, but this is his first novel. I hope it won’t be his last. Highly recommended.
