Having previously read Dispatches from Pluto, I couldn’t wait to read Grant’s observations of Natchez. Growing up in south Arkansas, and now living in Baton Rouge, I have had an observer’s perspective, but Natchez has always been that fascinating old Southern Belle who can’t quite reconcile the modern world with the past. Grant has an outsider’s view but a sympathetic eye for the south, and in this book as well as the last he lays bare the conflicting views of the old line Mississippi society and the current state of race relations. However he has a gentle touch with that, and both black and white Natchez residents share their views of the place and its history with him.
The ‘Grand Dames’ of the Natchez Garden Club and the Pilgrimage Garden Club run the Pilgrimage every year and until recently it was all about the plantation owners living their best lives with no mention of the slave labor that supported them. Some more modern thinkers, including local resident author Greg Iles, attempted to revise the tableaux to include a more accurate view of things, but it has met a lot of resistance from some. On the other hand, the mayor of Natchez is a gay black man, so in some ways they are rather progressive. There is a lot of examination of the present state of race relations, but I am not sure his portrayal of that is completely accurate. It seems a little oversimplified, but the explanation of how the school system has stratified the community is totally accurate and representative of many small cities in the south. He does examine the ugly history of KKK in the area and how even after the war, things were full of racial violence for many years.
To bring in a story from the past, there is another vein in the book about an actual African Prince, Ab al Rahman Ibrahima, who was captured and enslaved and ended up in Natchez. Contrasting Ibrahima’s life with that of the white planter class provides some context, I guess, but I found the interspersing of that story with the modern one less successful, as I would have preferred to follow that thread to conclusion in one stream.
All in all, a fascinating read and a fun introduction to Natchez society!

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of the book in exchange for a fair review

I had always been drawn to Natchez Mississippi after reading the Penn Gage book series by Greg Iles. Imagine my surprise to find he was included in this book. Although this book goes into the history of Natchez, it doesn’t read like a textbook. It is more like a travelogue. The story of Ibrahima, the royal prince that was enslaved and his return to Africa was interesting. He was an educated person degraded to the life of a slave. He spent most of his life trying to be free.

The history of the garden clubs, the Pilgrimage, and the Tableaux show that some people cannot access the past as past and move on. I did not realize Natchez was so much like Savannah or New Orleans with its eccentricity. I found myself reading a lot of this book out loud to my husband. I told him we need to take a virtual tour of Natchez. We spent the rest of the day looking at photos of the antebellum homes and gardens.

The book is easy to read, although it took me a few days to finish, because I kept stopping to look up Natchez. In fact, I have already signed up for a visitor guide of the area and Mississippi River. If you are a fan of Greg Iles or John Berendt, you will love this book. The author is an amazing storyteller and he will hook you in with tales of the past and present.

<b>The Deepest South of All</b> is a collection of essays surrounding Natchez, Mississippi. Called the <i>"Little Easy"</i> it is very unique in that you have the past juxtaposed against the present. The town's tourist attractions glamourize the antebellum years, yet it is perhaps one of the more progressive cities in the South. Natchez is a mix of Southern gentility and charm sprinkled with a host of eccentric characters. This unique history provides for many captivating stories.

One of the figures whose story is revisited time and again throughout the book is Prince Ibrahima. He was an enslaved prince that won his freedom in a rather unusual way. We also learn of Nellie Jackson who ran a brothel for over 60 years in Natchez. What was most unusual about this arrangement was that she was a Black woman running this illicit business on the White side of town and the law just turned a blind eye. Unbeknownst to everyone was that Nellie was an FBI informant who traded information about the activities of her clients in the Ku Klux Klan. Then there's Captain Russell who went to reclaim the money lost by one of his men after they got swindled at a bar. Of course he was laughed out of the place, but he exacted his revenge by hooking the establishment to his boat and pulling it into the water. And let's not forget Buzz Harper the self- proclaimed "Gayest Man in Natchez", towering over six feet tall, decked out in his mink coats and his man toys.

Another recurring theme throughout <b>The Deepest South of All</b> was the garden clubs and the women who run them. Grant paid particular attention to the somewhat hostile competition between the two most prestigious clubs. Their yearly galas are a tradition amongst the people of Natchez and the crux of the tourism trade. Status is conferred by the family members' positions in the production. For the most part, the children that get to take on the leading roles in the show are determined by the women who are most engaged with fundraising activities and community service. These productions memorialize the antebellum homes. Descendants of slave owners get to bask in the glory and grandeur of what their ancestors were able to achieve on the backs of slaves. But at the same time they do not want to have their good nights, their drunken bawdy times spoiled by the mention of slavery. So as you can guess these affairs are controversial especially among the descendants of slaves who still live in Natchez.

Travel writer Richard Grant found these contradictions intriguing along with other interesting facts from the town's history that attest to its progressive nature. Interracial marriages in Natchez date back through slavery. Unlike most cities in the South, White men openly married their slaves and servants. Present day citizens proudly acknowledge both sides of their family tree. In 1965 Natchez's Liberty Park was the site of the largest KKK rally in Mississippi history. Fifty years later 91% of its populous would vote for the election of Darryl Grenell, the city's first gay black mayor.

In <b>The Deepest South of All</b> Grant shows us that Natchez is a city that is evolving. Steeped in tradition, there is evidence of progress. Its citizens are colorful and quirky. Full of personal stories, this book was an easy read even when it dealt with some tough topics.

To give you a feel for the sentiment of Natchez I will leave you with this quote by one of their retired librarians:
<i>"We don't put our crazy relatives in the nuthouse, like they do up North . . . We put them in the front parlor and give them a cocktail."</i>

Anything about Natchez, Mississippi is worth reading. It is a fascinating city with a truly fascinating history. This book gives us the good, the bad, and ugly,. The author pulls no punches but has gives us a lively, fascinating glimpse of Natches. Natchez always has been and still is full of interesting characters. We meet many of them here. If you like glimpses of interesting places without the ugly hidden, this is a book for you

Thought for sure I was going to enjoy this book. But I was wrong. Really didn't care for any of the characters, just too weird for my tastes. Sorry...couldn't finish... I am sure many others will enjoy it. Just not for me.

I grew up in the deep south so I was intrigued by this book and I felt very...meh about it. Parts of it, the descriptions of homes/city, weather, the people, felt very genuine and very Southern. But on the whole, it felt really forced focusing too much on a couple of people (Regina who seems to despise her city in places) without giving a good overall view of Natchez. Some chapters felt disjointed, as if they were edited oddly but it's still a good book if you already know a bit about the area.

Richard Grant really gives the reader a sense of place, explaining how this southern town looks, feels and even smells. He also does not shy away from the legacy of the south, including slavery and the horrible racial divide that still exists today. There are no sacred cows and nobody is spared. The Mississippi town where the book is set has a type of dual identity and is full of eccentric characters that are hard to resist. Overall, this book is surprising to me, as I did not know exactly what to expect. It shows a city's decades-old wounds without pity, yet somehow manages to make us have a certain affection for Natchez, MS itself. That is a feat of good writing.

The Deepest South by Richard Grant is a wonderful telling of the history of Natchez, warts and all.
Intriguing in all aspects, you will see the history from the vantage point of blacks, whites, as well as those living in the past. Captivating from start to finish. Seeing how the great author Greg Iles actually plays a role in the city’s history in real life brings the authenticity to life.
A good read for historians and all who want to see a slice of life through the history of a town.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this engaging book.

Well written and insightful book which delves into the history of an individual slave, the antebellum South and our fascination with a Gone With the Wind vision of it, and current racial tensions in a town full of storytellers and quirky personalities. Thought provoking in ways I didn't expect with stories I wish I could retell as well as they are relayed.

The Deepest South of All
True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi
by Richard Grant
Read an Excerpt
Simon & Schuster
You Like Them
Nonfiction (Adult) | Travel
Pub Date 01 Sep 2020 | Archive Date Not set

Part History/part travelogue this is a great story of life in Natchez, Mississippi. I didn't know much about the south and I enjoyed this book. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.
4 star

The Deepest South of All
Fascinating read! Based on history, it was interesting to learn these facts.

I discovered Richard Grant when I read his "Dispatches from Pluto:. I loved his writing style and his typical Britishness. He does not disappoint with "The Deepest South of All". Without any preconceived ideas, he sets out to learn and write about life in Natchez, Mississippi. He befriends garden club ladies who run the social calendar of the town as well as civil rights leaders who are still fighting for racial equity in the deep south. It is filled with eccentric Mississippi characters and stomach churning southern history. Southern life nothing short of interesting in my experience.

Grant tries to understand the dichotomy of white vs. black life in Natchez. He traces its roots thru historical figures native to the area and draws parallels to current events. He is genuinely interested in the way both sides interact with one another. While Natchez prides itself in being weird, it is also very protective of its history . He is able to write an eye opening account without passing judgement on either side. Truly fascinating and I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

As a Mississippian, I recognize that the city of Natchez is known for its beautiful mansions, spring pilgrimage tours, and deep ties to the antebellum era which have been celebrated with national tours, and used as wedding venues/special events for decades. But as a Mississippian, I did not know that Natchez was also the site of the South's second largest slave market in the 19th century and one of the busiest slave trading towns in the nation.

In The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, "Being Sent Natchez Way" is mentioned on nearly every other page, with reference to the fellow slaves who have left because they have been shipped to Natchez for sale or trade to other property owners as Virginia plantations began to fall on hard times.

The book The Deepest South of All by Richard Grant examines the rich and torrid history of Natchez and tries to reconcile it with the present day notion of antebellum pageantry. The blurb mentioned some crazy current day characters reminiscent of the book about Savannah's "The Garden of Good and Evil," but I would not compare the two books because this book is so much more.

This book follows an African prince who was captured in his native land, and sent across the passage and sold in Natchez as a slave. The story of Prince Ibrahima is told in alternating chapters, and the story flips between
Slave Trading Natchez and Current Day Natchez where citizens are being faced with failing school districts, racially segregated community groups, faltering pilgrimage tour ticket sales, and the ongoing reconciliation between the history of Natchez and the healing of Natchez - which has yet to come.

I couldn't stop reading this book, and I highly recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As is his style, Richard Grant inserted himself squarely in the midst of Natchez, Mississippi in order to tell the stories of the eccentric town. Tucked away from major thoroughfares and with a long history, Natchez is quintessentially Mississippian in some ways and entirely unique in others. Alternating between present day and the late 1700s, Grant offers epitomizing narratives of a place plagued with a racist history that continues to have a lasting affect on social interactions throughout the town that is torn between tradition and progress. Via stories about the annual Tableaux (a low-budget musical put on by the whole town depicting a very whitewashed history of the area), the Deacons for Defense of Justice during the civil rights era, and lbrahim (West African royalty who was sold into slavery and ended up in Natchez), the book gives you a window into this absurd, resilient little town. Ultimately, there is a tension between preserving what makes Natchez charming (a la “Keep Austin Weird”) while also reckoning with its past and addressing growing racial animosity. Like many towns in this era, they are taking steps in both directions. ⁣
⁣
Had I not read Grant’s previous memoir (Dispatches from Pluto), I may have actually had a hard time with this one because the stories feel just so utterly absurd. But having that grounding gave me confidence in Grant’s reporting and allowed me to lean into the stories in all of the wild peculiarity. I enjoyed learning more about Natchez, but, as Grant admits at the end, would never want to live there.

Fascinating, infuriating, curious, enlightening, disturbing. I couldn't choose just one of these adjectives to describe The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi because there are moments of each throughout this amazing read. I feel as though I stepped through some portal into a strange world full of interesting, eccentric, and often contradictory people. The author, being British, brings a unique point of view to the somewhat famous town, its society, and racial mores.

History is omnipresent in Natchez, seeping into the present at every glance and coloring the lives of its residents, and I greatly enjoyed the mixture of present-day people stories with overarching collective history and intimate portraits of those passed like Prince. There are tales that will make you laugh, tales that will break your heart, tales that will make you seethe, the whole gamut of the experience of being human all wrapped into one. I couldn't recommend it more highly to just about any reader. I feel as though I've come away with something I didn't know before and we could all use that.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

For fan's of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and The City of Falling Angels. Richard Grant transports us to the quirky town of Natchez, Mississippi and attempts to unpack its traditions and strange race relations. Interspersed are chapters that take the reader back in time to the antebellum era in order to follow the life of a specific slave who lived in Natchez. As the book started out, I found the content to be captivating but the interwoven chapters to be a little jarring. As the book went on, my opinions flipped a bit as the main storyline began to stagnate and the alternating became more familiar. Overall, I enjoyed this but it didn't quite reach the bar of being a five star read as I had hoped when starting off.

I got bored with this one and gave up. I think it was more of way the story was told vs the writing. I loved how the author described everything but there was just something missing for me. I will go back in the future and try again as I did like the writing but for now it will be shelved.

This is my first read by Richard Grant, but it definitely will not be my last. Richard takes us to Natchez Mississippi, and opens the doors to the antebellum homes, the fun and friendly dinners, the odd couples, and sadly, the dark history of slavery in the area. The homes were all built by slaves with money made by working slaves, so the subject is delicate. Richard respects this and walks the fine line between appreciating the architecture and charm while acknowledging the despicable road that was taken to get there.
He touches on the history of numerous homes, their current condition, and how they’ve managed to survive. He introduces us to the owners, the current town residents, and the keepers of the memory of the lost slaves. Alternately, we meet Abdulrahman Ibrahima, an African prince who was enslaved and brought to the area who never gave up on his dream to return to his native home. His sad but true story will stick with you forever.
Richard brings to light some sensitive points to ponder, one which hit home with me. An older native was talking about how her family had glossed over the history of slavery, teaching their children that the war wasn’t about slavery, that most slaves were happy in their servitude. She learned, evolved, and developed her own opinions as she grew up, realizing the sad and horrible truth. I was raised in Georgia and that’s exactly what happened with me. It’s a painfully embarrassing and slow reckoning, but I’m thankful my eyes were finally opened. I wish I could have read this book when I was fifteen, but I’m thankful for Mr. Grant’s respect and tenacity in today’s turbulent times.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. The release date is September 1, 2020.

I received a free ARC of this guide/memoir from Netgalley, Richard Grant, and Simon & Schuster. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Deepest South of All of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Richard Grant to my list of authors to follow. This book was remarkable in its ability to put you in place, heart, and soul. Natchez has always been on my list of places to revisit. This book makes that imperative as soon as the pandemic is under control.

Natchez, Mississippi grabbed my heart years ago, in the late 1960s. I firstly love the idea that you can't get there by accident. No planes, no trains, no interstates or through highways. Perhaps because of that isolation, Natchez is a microcosm of southern humanities and moors not found anywhere else in the world. But believe me, it's a place you want to visit. After reading Richard Grant's look into this community with all its Southern charm and peculiarities, I'm ready to take off next spring to be there in time for the tour of antebellum homes. So many homes restored! So many interesting folks to pass the time with. And such a wonderful insight into the still lingering angst and anger of the descendants of the Civil War, black and white and in between. The war may have ended 150 years ago. For the rest of the world. Not so, in Natchez.

As Southerners say, we don’t hide our eccentrics, we sit them on the front porch in a rocking chair.

This book focuses on the Deep South town of Natchez, Mississippi. It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump up from New Orleans and takes much of its lassiez faire attitude from the city. Natchez is a cultural center still filled with beautiful pre-Civil War mansions, yet also has a terribly ugly past of hosting one of the largest slave trading centers in the South.

When I saw this author was British, my left eyebrow raised and I thought, ooooh bless his heart, I’m sure he tried. However he absolutely succeeds and immerses himself in the town while somehow befriending everyone. It’s that British accent, y’all.

Natchez struggles to find their identity because much of their tourism has been based around the beautiful architecture, getting back to the “good ole days,” and being borderline obsessed with Confederate history. However, the town has never come to terms with it’s horrible slavery past. There is much conflict here with folks being stuck in a white-washed past, while others are trying to acknowledge the tragedies and honoring them by educating others.

You cannot help but fall in love with every single person Grant talks to and writes about. They are all a mixture of campy/lavish/Southern Gothic/Beverly Leslie/Andy Griffith/Steel Magnolias and I’m here for it.

Natchez recently elected a gay, Black mayor with 91% of the vote, has put up monuments detailing the horrors of the slave trade there, and is making strides to include ALL parts of their past in traditions. As Grant says, “They have to square their well-earned reputation for kindness and hospitality with their equally well-earned reputation for violence and bigotry.”

This is SUCH an interesting regional nonfiction and I definitely recommend it. Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the chance to review this!