Summary
Summary of A Little Traitor to the South
Key ideas
Key idea 1
Love meets duty under siege
In Charleston in the winter of 1864, a nurse cannot choose between two men. Around them, a besieged city prepares for a dangerous night attack by a tiny iron boat called the David. Their private feelings are about to become tied to a military mission.
Over an evening and the next morning, the question is not only whom she loves. Each man must decide what he will give up for her, while she must decide where her duty lies.
Key idea 2
Fanny refuses to be ordered
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Key idea 3
Fanny asks for visible courage
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Key idea 4
Rivalry gives way to sacrifice
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Key idea 5
Fanny fears more than his death
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Key idea 6
Protection becomes a dangerous trap
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Key idea 7
The boat leaves without Sempland
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Key idea 8
Affection puts honor under pressure
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
Readers who love wartime romance, brave officers and quick-witted heroines, and who enjoy a tale of loyalty that moves through a single dramatic night in a besieged Southern port.
What this book is
A besieged city, a tiny iron boat and a nurse who cannot choose between two men. That is the heart of A Little Traitor to the South, a short Civil War romance by Cyrus Townsend Brady, an American author and clergyman who died in 1920. It is set in Charleston in the winter of 1864. The story takes a real event, the night attack of a torpedo boat called the David, and builds a love triangle around it. Over an evening and the next morning, each man must decide what he will give up for her, and she must decide where her duty lies.
In this summary
- 1A nurse and her two rivalsFree
- 2A quarrel that ends in tears
- 3A friend gives up his place
- 4Lacy goes to see Fanny
- 5Locked in the strong room
- 6The David and the empty wharf
Key point 1 of 6
A nurse and her two rivals
The story opens in Charleston in February 1864 with a quarrel. Fanny Glen is barely five feet tall and she hates being ordered about. Lieutenant Rhett Sempland loves her, and he has just tried to forbid her to see another man.
That man is Major Harry Lacy, a soldier of splendid courage and a ruinous thirst. He ran the blockade, carried dispatches and fought at Gettysburg. Lacy is handsome and reckless, while Sempland is homely and strong. Sempland spent most of the war in a Northern prison and has had no chance to win glory.
Nobody knows much about Fanny herself. People only know that she is good, that she is lovely and that she stays when other nurses leave. Now she faces both men with her face pale, and she cannot say which one she loves.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Sempland want to take Lacy's place aboard the David?
Right. “Lacy points out that it is almost certain death, but Sempland says it is his chance.”Not quite. “Lacy points out that it is almost certain death, but Sempland says it is his chance.”
What does Fanny arrange to stop Sempland from leaving?
Right. “They are to lock him in until morning and must not hurt him.”Not quite. “They are to lock him in until morning and must not hurt him.”
Why can Sempland not explain his absence to the general?
Right. “Sempland cannot answer, because the truth would mean treason charges for the woman he loves.”Not quite. “Sempland cannot answer, because the truth would mean treason charges for the woman he loves.”
Questions about A Little Traitor to the South
What is A Little Traitor to the South about?
It is about a Charleston nurse named Fanny Glen and two officers who love her. On a February night in 1864, a torpedo boat attack forces all three to choose between love, honor and loyalty to the South.
Is A Little Traitor to the South a true story?
The romance is built around a real wartime attack. Charleston was blockaded in 1864, General Beauregard commanded the defense, and a small torpedo boat called the David did attack a Union ship that winter.
Who wrote A Little Traitor to the South?
Cyrus Townsend Brady wrote it. He was an American author and clergyman who died in 1920, and he wrote many popular romances and adventure tales as well as histories.
Who are the main characters in A Little Traitor to the South?
They are Fanny Glen, a hospital nurse, Lieutenant Rhett Sempland, Major Harry Lacy and General Beauregard. Fanny's servants, including Cato and Caesar, also play a part in the night's events.
Is A Little Traitor to the South easy to read?
Yes, it is approachable. The chapters are short, the plot moves fast, and the dialogue is lively. Its gentle humor and clear focus on one dramatic night make it easy to follow.
