Duchess of Palms

A Memoir

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, State & Local, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Duchess of Palms by Nadine Eckhardt, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Nadine Eckhardt ISBN: 9780292749955
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: November 29, 2012
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Nadine Eckhardt
ISBN: 9780292749955
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: November 29, 2012
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English

Child of the Great Depression, teenage "Duchess of Palms" beauty queen, wife of an acclaimed novelist and later of a brilliant U.S. congressman, and ultimately a successful single working woman and mother, Nadine Eckhardt has lived a fascinating life. In this unique, funny, and honest memoir, she recounts her journey from being a "fifties girl" who lived through the men in her life to becoming a woman in her own right, working toward her own goals.

Eckhardt's first marriage to writer Billy Lee Brammer gave her entrée to liberal political and literary circles in Austin and Washington, where she and Brammer both worked for Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. She describes the heady excitement of LBJ's world—a milieu that Brammer vividly captured in his novel The Gay Place. She next recalls her second marriage to Bob Eckhardt, whom she helped get elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as her growing involvement with the counterculture of social protest, sexual revolution, and drug use. Eckhardt honestly recounts how the changing times changed her perception of herself, recalling that "I didn't know how to achieve for myself, only for others, and I felt ripped off and empty." This painful realization opened the door to a new life for Eckhardt. Her memoir concludes with a joyful description of her multifaceted later life as a restaurateur, assistant to Molly Ivins, writer, and center of a wide circle of friends.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Child of the Great Depression, teenage "Duchess of Palms" beauty queen, wife of an acclaimed novelist and later of a brilliant U.S. congressman, and ultimately a successful single working woman and mother, Nadine Eckhardt has lived a fascinating life. In this unique, funny, and honest memoir, she recounts her journey from being a "fifties girl" who lived through the men in her life to becoming a woman in her own right, working toward her own goals.

Eckhardt's first marriage to writer Billy Lee Brammer gave her entrée to liberal political and literary circles in Austin and Washington, where she and Brammer both worked for Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. She describes the heady excitement of LBJ's world—a milieu that Brammer vividly captured in his novel The Gay Place. She next recalls her second marriage to Bob Eckhardt, whom she helped get elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as her growing involvement with the counterculture of social protest, sexual revolution, and drug use. Eckhardt honestly recounts how the changing times changed her perception of herself, recalling that "I didn't know how to achieve for myself, only for others, and I felt ripped off and empty." This painful realization opened the door to a new life for Eckhardt. Her memoir concludes with a joyful description of her multifaceted later life as a restaurateur, assistant to Molly Ivins, writer, and center of a wide circle of friends.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book The Fifth Sun by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Supplement to the Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 3 by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book We're the Light Crust Doughboys from Burrus Mill by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Coronado's Children by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Invisible City by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Iranian Intellectuals in the Twentieth Century by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book After San Jacinto by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book The Road to El Cielo by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Performing Piety by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Land of the Underground Rain by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Evolving Images by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Year of the Dog by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Maya for Travelers and Students by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Andean Lives by Nadine Eckhardt
Cover of the book Nationalist Voices in Jordan by Nadine Eckhardt
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy