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Baltimore Mansion Memoir: A Journey Through Time and Memory

Colin Richardson

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Published in Baltimore S Mansion: A Memoir Wayne Johnston

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Wayne Johnston's Baltimore Mansion Memoir is a captivating and evocative exploration of the city's hidden history, told through the lens of a grand old mansion. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in Baltimore's past, present, and future.

Baltimore's Mansion: A Memoir

by Wayne Johnston

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	698 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	290 pages

Johnston, a native of Newfoundland, came to Baltimore in 1971 to teach at the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars. He soon fell in love with the city, and in 1977 he purchased a dilapidated mansion in the historic Bolton Hill neighborhood. Over the next several years, Johnston painstakingly restored the mansion to its former glory, and in the process he uncovered a wealth of stories about the people who had lived there before him.

Baltimore Mansion Memoir is a beautifully written and deeply personal account of Johnston's restoration project. But it is also much more than that. It is a meditation on the nature of home, the importance of history, and the power of memory. Johnston writes with a deep love for Baltimore, and his book is a testament to the city's rich and complex history.

The mansion that Johnston purchased was built in 1850 by John Eager Howard, a prominent Baltimore merchant. Howard was a close friend of George Washington, and he served as the city's first mayor. The mansion is a magnificent example of Greek Revival architecture, and it is one of the few remaining antebellum homes in Baltimore.

Over the years, the mansion has been home to a variety of people, including a wealthy plantation owner, a Confederate general, and a Jewish refugee. Johnston tells the stories of these people with sensitivity and compassion, and he brings their lives to vivid life. He also explores the social and political changes that have shaped Baltimore over the centuries.

Baltimore Mansion Memoir is a book that will stay with you long after you finish it. It is a moving and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition, and it is a testament to the power of storytelling. Johnston has written a masterpiece that will be enjoyed by readers for generations to come.

About the Author

Wayne Johnston is a Canadian novelist, short story writer, and essayist. He was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1950. He studied at the University of Toronto and the University of Iowa, and he has taught writing at the University of Western Ontario and the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars.

Johnston is the author of eleven novels, including The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (1998),which won the Giller Prize, and The Navigator of New York (2001),which was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize.

Johnston is a gifted storyteller with a deep understanding of the human condition. His writing is lyrical and evocative, and he has a rare ability to bring his characters to life. He is one of Canada's most celebrated authors, and his work has been translated into twenty languages.