"Here, I thought, was one of the most melodramatic and gorgeous bits of
Americana that had ever come my way. It was not only the theater -- it
was the theater plus the glamour of the wandering drifting life, the
drama of the river towns, the mystery and terror of the Mississippi
itself... I spent a year hunting down every available scrap of show-boat
material; reading, interviewing, taking notes and making outlines."
Inspired by an offhand comment made by Winthrop Ames during the opening
night of Minick, Edna Ferber became enamored with the idea of show
boats and the magic of the lives of traveling performers. Crafting a
story of love and racial prejudice amid the changing times, Ferber's
1926 Pulitzer Prize winning novel Show Boat follows three generations
of performers aboard the Cotton Blossom.
Set in the aftermath of the American Civil War, Show Boat sees Captain
Andy Hawks, his wife Parthy Ann and his daughter, Magnolia, buying the
new show boat Cotton Blossom and setting down the Mississippi River
with their small cast: Julie, Steve, Ellie and "Schultzy." Despite being
married to Steve, Julie is relentlessly pursued by a crewmember named
Pete who ends up losing to a fight with Steve who demands he cease his
unwanted advances. Threatening to expose a dark secret about their
marriage, he sends the Cotton Blossom into a cycle of tragedy that
will stick for generations to come.
Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this edition
of Show Boat is an award-winning classic reimagined for the modern
reader.
