Aftermath. Part Second of a Kentucy Cardinal

Aftermath is the sequel to A Kentucky Cardinal by James Lane Allen (1849-1925), the American author whose Kentucky-set novels and stories made him one of the most popular American writers of the 1890s and early 1900s. The two volumes together form a complete two-part novel about love and nature in rural Kentucky.

The first book A Kentucky Cardinal had appeared in 1894 and had been a broad commercial success. The protagonist Adam Moss is a thoughtful naturalist whose love of birds, particularly the Kentucky cardinal, structures his daily life. The romantic plot follows his slow relationship with his neighbor Georgiana Cobb. Aftermath of 1896 continues their story into marriage and addresses the deeper questions that the first book had opened.

Allen wrote in the genteel literary realism that the American magazine tradition of the late nineteenth century favored. His Kentucky settings drew on his own background growing up near Lexington. The two-volume work pairs naturally and is essential reading for anyone interested in late nineteenth century American regional fiction.