The Last of the Southern Girls — Willie Morris

Carol Hollywell, a Scarlett O'Hara of the 1950s, sets Washington, D.C., on its ear. Willie Morris's cleverly executed novel (loosely based on a real-life figure) paints a devastatingly accurate portrait, not only of a power-hungry woman, but also of the society that feeds such hunger. Morris is the author of several books, including North Toward Home and New York Days.