Talmadge Farm

De: Leo Daughtry

Narrado por: Justin Price

A LOVE LETTER TO THE AMERICAN SOUTH

A STORY OF RESILIENCE, HOPE, AND FAMILY—BOTH LOST AND FOUND

It's 1957, and tobacco is king. Wealthy landowner Gordon Talmadge enjoys the lavish lifestyle he inherited but doesn't like getting his hands dirty; he leaves that to the two sharecroppers—one white, one Black—who farm his tobacco but have bigger dreams for their own children. While Gordon takes no interest in the lives of his tenant farmers, a brutal attack between his son and the sharecropper children sets off a chain of events that leaves no one unscathed. Over the span of a decade, Gordon struggles to hold on to his family's legacy as the old order makes way for a New South.

A sweeping drama that follows three unforgettable families navigating the changing culture of North Carolina at a pivotal moment in history, listeners have been raving that Talmadge Farm is one they cannot put down. Perfect for fans of Wiley Cash and Amor Towles.

©2024 Leo Daughtry (P)2024 Leo Daughtry

Good description of tobacco country

I liked the story and I think it was well written, but I cannot say that it was a dynamic read. It did have an interesting plot and storyline, which takes us on a journey into North Carolina in the 50s and 60s. We get to see how tobacco farms were run and what life was like for both the owners and the sharecroppers and people who worked in the tobacco fields. It did have some intense moments, and some tragic situations, but I appreciated that even some of the worst characters were not made out to be 100% evil. In real life, most bad people are not all bad so that was more realistic. I enjoyed reading about the kids and how their lives turned out. The one thing that bothered me was the narrator. It takes an extremely talented male narrator to also do the female voices. And while this narrator was not terrible, it still left quite a bit to be desired when the females were speaking. I think it would’ve been better
with both a male and female narrator.
I think the author could have stretched it out and made it a little more interesting with more details in different parts of the story, and maybe some plot twists. For example, sometimes in the story, an event happens and then suddenly it’s two years later and you don’t get a picture of exactly what happened in between.
Here is a bit of a spoiler alert, but I feel I need to mention it. I think that the character who had to leave behaved in an uncharacteristic way at the end when he met with the owner again. It is true that he would have held some bitterness over the whole situation, but if he had not been forced to leave, he may not have ended up where he did. I don’t think that he would have spoken as spitefully, especially not to someone so ill. I did not expect his character to be willing to completely forgive him, but it disappointed me that he was as hard as he was. The other thing that simply did not ring true for him, was the way he handled the young lady that he liked. Yes, he made a mistake, but the character that we had come to know would’ve gone back and admitted his wrongdoing to her and to her parents. They certainly would have understood. I think it really sold his character short to make him be so shallow. It was understandable to make the mistake in the first place, but I fully expected for him to make it right. That is an example of the author just dropping a part of the story without any kind of resolution,
It was an enjoyable read, and I can recommend it for somebody who likes stories about that period of time in that particular place in our country. I lived in South Carolina near Charlotte for over 10 years in my 50s, and I liked picturing some of the places that I know well.

Characters Were Real

The honest portrayal of the characters, many resembling people I knew in the 50s and 60s in the South, made the entire story believable and poignant. In spite of their flaws, each character was treated with some dignity. There was definitely some growth in racial understanding, but there was no unrealistic sudden enlightenment. There was just enough righteous indignation among the black people to make important points about their struggles. And there was just enough tolerance of the bigoted white people to keep them from being hideous in their prejudices. Only an author who has lived in that time and place could have written it this way!

Gripping southern character drama

I absolutely loved every part of this book, I’m from nc and every depiction is nailed perfectly. 5/5

The Days of Nicotine and Glory

As a baby boomer who spent her later adolescent years in a small town in Tennessee home to several farms like Talmadge Farm and the lines between races were clearly drawn, to say this book resonated is indeed an understatement. Tobacco was the cash crop that could make or break a family's survival. This book certainly captures the essences of the haves and the have nots, the cultured from the cultures, the honest from the pseudo honest, and the desire for always more from the essentials for barely 'gettin' by. The South is rampant tales of extreme wealth, crushing poverty, and the racial divide. This book certainly captures the essence of the South of the '50's. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Daughtry.

Top Notch Historical Fiction!

The author made me visualize the people and the places so well, I felt as if I was there.
The story was not predictable and was a great read to the end. Very well written and hopefully not the last book from this author.

wholesome story

good story, characters were well built and understood. the story was ok, typical for that day and era. narration wasn’t terrible, just ok. not sure id recommend this book.