The Widow of the South

How to reserve your Widow of the South Tour

To learn about the people and places in The Widow of the South, we offer, in conjunction with Carnton Plantation, a joint Widow of the South tour. At a combined cost of $20 ($2 off the regular price of $10 for the Franklin on Foot tour and $12 for Carnton), you will receive a ticket for  a 90-minute walking tour of downtown Franklin and an hour-long guided house tour of Carnton Plantation. For the Carnton portion of the tour, a reservation is not required. Simply visit Carnton during its regular hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. Please note: the last tour of the day is at 4 p.m. For the downtown portion of the tour, call us at 615-400-3808 for a reservation and time for your tour. 

  The Widow of the South puts world spotlight on Carnton and Franklin

The Widow of the South, written by long-time Franklin resident and Historic Carnton Plantation Association board member Robert Hicks, centers on the life of Carrie McGavock, the mistress of Carnton before, during and after the Civil War. After the hardcover release in September, 2005, the book rose to #5 and spent eight weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list in the fall of 2005. Now in paperback and published in French, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin, the book gives readers an understanding of the historical significance of  the Battle of  Franklin, described by National Geographic as  "the most unjustly forgotten battle of the entire Civil War." (April, 2005)   

Resounding Acclaim for The Widow of the South

"A wonderful read...Hicks blends the historical and the personal with a master storyteller's skill."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Hicks has perfected the art of mixing fact and fiction, and turned the book into a sustained, profound meditation on what it means to live, to love, and to die. Congratulations to Robert Hicks--he has written a moving and magnificent novel." Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring

"A sensitive account of an era that seems to fascinate readers ceaselessly." Entertainment Weekly

 Hicks spins a glorious story about the Civil War heroics of Carrie McGavock, 'the most famous Southern Woman you've never heard of.' What happened during and after a late-war battle in Franklin forms the sweeping basis of this tremendously engaging novel based onactual, if unfamiliar, history. You'll swear you were smelling gunpowder and blood, and you may shed real tears." Jeff Guinn, Dallas TX Star-Telegram

"Engaging...a big, brawling Civil War novel...The characters' voices ring so true." Philadelphia Inquirer

"An entertaining and often moving work of fiction...Hicks is a shrewd author who knows and loves what he's writing about, and that gives his book its narrative drive and emotional impact." Kansas City Star

"Remarkable...moving...I've been captivated by this haunting story...Hicks has masterfully made the leap from history to fiction." Winston- Salem Journal

"An intensely moving and wholly believable novel." Historical Novel Society

"Carrie McGavock takes it upon herself to tend after the Confederate wounded, later, she and her husband will rebury 1,500 of the fallen on their property. 'I was not a morbid woman,' Carrie allows, 'but if death wanted to confront me, well, I would not turn my head.' An impressive addition to the library of historical fiction of the Civil War." Kirkus Reviews

"When Oscar Wilde toured America in 1882, he demanded to visit 'sunny Tennessee to meet the Widow McGavock, the high priestess of dead boys.' Hicks' debut novel is based on one of the great and forgotten Civil War stories: how Carrie McGavock tended the wounded, then created a private cemetery after the one-day Battle of Franklin in 1864." USA Today

"What a wonderful story Robert Hicks has told. It speaks powerfully to us today." Anne Rivers Siddons

Call 615-400-3808 for information and reservations. Cash, checks and credit cards welcomed. Click here to purchase tickets by credit card.