Description

Inspired by Fitzgeralds own courtship of his future wife Zelda, The Last of the Belles centres on the Southern beauty Ailie Calhoun from Tarleton, Georgia, who finds herself the object of attention of all the officers at a nearby army base, including the narrator, Andy. A wistful and melancholy exploration of unfulfilled dreams and lost youth, the story is considered one of Fitzgeralds finest pieces of short fiction.This volume also includes other acclaimed stories such as Jacobs Ladder, The Swimmers and The Bridal Party written by Fitzgerald between 1927 and 1931, during the prolonged period in which he was struggling to compose Tender Is the Night.