Book Review
Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Talmadge Farm by Leo Daughtry immerses readers in rural Southern life in the mid-20th century, offering a vivid portrait of its settings and characters. The Talmadge family is a fixture in the Eastern North Carolina community, and the story opens with their annual dove hunt. Beginning in September 1957, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Talmadge Farm—a sprawling estate encompassing hundreds of acres of tobacco fields and the imposing Talmadge mansion. Gordon Talmadge is a typical Southern patriarch obsessed with maintaining his family's legacy and fortune through the bank he controls. He cares very little about the welfare of the sharecroppers on his farm, especially the Sanders family, highlighting the stark contrasts between their privileged existence and the struggles of those bound to the land. The tension grows at different levels and escalates between Gordon and the Sanders family when Junior, Gordon’s son, attacks Ella Sanders. The fallout has dire ramifications.
Leo Daughtry has crafted a character-driven narrative with a solid historical setting. The characters are finely drawn, and watching them evolve through multiple conflicts is interesting. Gordon Talmadge is an ambitious man with domestic issues and hints at an underlying strain in his marriage with Claire, creating suspense. The dynamics between the Talmadges and the Sanders family, notably when sharecropping is at play, highlight the social and racial tensions and the disparity in their social standings, exacerbating misunderstandings and conflicts. Daughtry deftly illustrates the South's racial and class tensions, revealing how the social fabric frays when underlying injustices surface. The characters are not black-and-white caricatures but flawed individuals who react to their circumstances with varying degrees of morality. Talmadge Farm is an engaging tale that transports readers into an intriguing historical moment and place.
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