The Deepest South of All

True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi

De: Richard Grant

Narrado por: Matthew Lloyd Davies

Bestselling travel writer Richard Grant “sensitively probes the complex and troubled history of the oldest city on the Mississippi River through the eyes of a cast of eccentric and unexpected characters” (Newsweek).

Natchez, Mississippi, once had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in America, and its wealth was built on slavery and cotton. Today it has the greatest concentration of antebellum mansions in the South, and a culture full of unexpected contradictions. Prominent white families dress up in hoopskirts and Confederate uniforms for ritual celebrations of the Old South, yet Natchez is also progressive enough to elect a gay black man for mayor with 91% of the vote.

Much as John Berendt did for Savannah in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the hit podcast S-Town did for Woodstock, Alabama, so Richard Grant does for Natchez in The Deepest South of All. With humor and insight, he depicts a strange, eccentric town with an unforgettable cast of characters. There’s Buzz Harper, a six-food-five gay antique dealer famous for swanning around in a mink coat with a uniformed manservant and a very short German bodybuilder. There’s Ginger Hyland, “The Lioness,” who owns 500 antique eyewash cups and decorates 168 Christmas trees with her jewelry collection. And there’s Nellie Jackson, a Cadillac-driving brothel madam who became an FBI informant about the KKK before being burned alive by one of her customers. Interwoven through these stories is the more somber and largely forgotten account of Abd al Rahman Ibrahima, a West African prince who was enslaved in Natchez and became a cause célèbre in the 1820s, eventually gaining his freedom and returning to Africa.

With an “easygoing manner” (Geoff Dyer, National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author of Otherwise Known as the Human Condition), this book offers a gripping portrait of a complex American place, as it struggles to break free from the past and confront the legacy of slavery.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"This audiobook tells two stories of Natchez, Mississippi. The first is about the contemporary town, largely seen through its white elites. The second is about Abdul Rahman Ibrahimi, an African prince who spent 40 years enslaved on the outskirts of town. Natchez is the home of the Pilgrimage, a tourism ritual that is a chronic source of tension between its Black and white residents. Author Richard Grant is British, so narrator Matthew Lloyd Davies's English accent is appropriate, and his command of various Southern accents is admirable."

A captivating story that every person should read

What an amazing book. Eye opening and historic. This is not only a great read, it is a part of history that is so important to the America culture. A highly suggested book to read.

Brilliantly captures the good the bad and the ugly of Natchez.

The story brilliantly captures the essence of Natchez, Mississippi, and the cast of characters that live there. The British narrator made humorous parts even funnier.

Mississippi native agrees

On point in content and context. This was an amazing book for people doubting racism and it's subtile presence.

Awesome book

Love all of this author’s work, great storytelling. Interesting characters, great locations. Looking forward to seeing his next book.

One of she strangest books I’ve read.

I have studied and read many books on or related to diversity, equity, inclusion, books on racism, bias, and race relations; this book comes at it from such a strange angle. While it reminds us of America’s racist past and the enslavement of people it also gives detailed stories of people line Prince. Most interesting is how the history still impacts contemporary Natchez and it’s inhabitants; how a town founded on slavery reconciles it’s history. The book reads like fiction with a cast of dramatic characters but they are all real as are their strange traditions rooted in our ugly past.

Both Fascinating and Fair

I listened to this book twice — there’s just so much to take in. Richard Grant weaves together a cast of fascinating characters and captures how the town of Natchez, Mississippi, both Black and white, continues to wrestle with and move forward from its complex racial history. What stood out to me most was how fairly he portrays both sides — something that’s rare and refreshing.

I especially loved learning about Ibrahima’s story, which adds important insights and historical weight to the question of slavery in the USA. The book is full of eccentric personalities (as you’d expect from Mississippi) and plenty of humor to balance the heavier themes. It’s insightful, funny, and deeply human — a truly compelling look at the contemporary south dealing with it's racial history.

I'm probably biased

I have spent some significant time in Natchez, Mississippi, as a result, this book felt like I had already met all of its living players. Richard Grant has done an excellent job of capturing the spirit and the quirkiness of this oldest of Southern towns. It is really hard to understand the concept of Pilgrimage or of the Garden Clubs or of "homes" not "houses" on The Tours without actually having been there, but Mr Grant has done as good a job as anyone could at describing these events and the personalities that make them uniquely "Natchez". His interviews with lbulls really give an accurate flavor of how the town works and how they think differently about slavery and the legacy of the horrific institution. I know it sounds unbelievable that white people who grew up in Natchez and are adults today didn't think about slavery as they drive past the Forks in the Road, but I have no reason to disbelieve Miss Regina when she relates that her education just left those parts out and none of the adults talked about it. If you read this book and think the author is exaggerating, think again, I can attest to having met many of these people and he's telling the truth.

such a good book

My family is planing a trip through the south, and I read this to learn more about Natchez and I'm soooo excited to go there now. These stories are fascinating!

Natchez Deep Dive

I am a big fan of this author’s work and enjoy learning about strange and foreign lands like the Southiest of Southern States - Mississippi.

This book is an enlightening portrait of an iconic and eccentric town juggling the past and present. Somehow, Grant weaves together Garden Club Gossip, school board meetings and Slavery into a worthwhile read and one with some surprising perspectives on Social Justice and discrimation.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed’Dispatches from Pluto’, and/or have an interest in learning more about the Characters, customs, and lifestyle of
the Deep South.

Great Work, Dick!
Keep em comin buddy!

Great southern tales of times not forgotten!

This was an excellent book! Like a peek into another time, another world that many think was soooo long ago, but was it really?