Talmadge Farm

By: Leo Daughtry

Narrated by: 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

Memories of growing up in eastern North Carolina with a story to embrace and explain the changes.

The maturing of all characters as the world changed around them was interesting and realistic.

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.

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.