Natchez, Mississippi, exists in a time warp; the longer you linger, the more its essence gets under your skin. British-born travel writer Richard Grant takes the reader on an amazing journey in The Deepest South of All through his friendships and interviews with key players in the Natchez cultural tapestry, demonstrating how the history of Natchez spins a web of fascination and frustration around all who dally. Stay long enough and your name will be sure to get crunched into the gossip mill: you will no longer recognize your own doings. Some residents might say that syndrome typifies Natchez more than any other trait. While its residents and groups are known to be odd, delightful, decadent, disputatious, discriminating, dignified and demented, the city’s mere existence demonstrates the foundation of irony and injustice upon which Natchez stakes its claim to fame.

Take the jaw-dropping fact that this center of slavery, which had more millionaires in its heyday than any other region of the U.S., was a Union army stronghold. Ulysses S. Grant stayed at an antebellum home named The Towers and allegedly rode his horse up and down the hallway on Christmas Eve of 1863. The city’s decision not to vote to secede from the Union caused Natchez planters to (albeit reluctantly) open their doors to the Union officers: for this reason alone, Natchez’s beautiful antebellum homes stand today with tours granted primarily by white women in hoop skirts. If not for that strategic decision, the mansions would probably have been burned to the ground.

Stanton Hall, where Richard Grant is invited at the outset of his book by the charming Natchez-born Regina Charboneau, a cookbook writer and former San Francisco restaurateur and blues club owner, takes a prominent position in The Deepest South of All. The name of Stanton Hall caught my attention because of a Californian high school friend who visited the Natchez mansion often (through family ties). A similar loyalty brought Charboneau home, and partly through her endeavor to keep Natchez alive while acknowledging its slave past, readers can feel the struggle that steeps the city in tension.

Charboneau runs Twin Oaks, another Greek Revival antebellum home dating from 1832. Grant stayed here in the old slave quarters, and he does not hide his sense of grief or awareness of the misery that brought so much splendor to the city. Almost immediately, at the party thrown at Stanton Hall, a mansion that sits on an entire block and whose new roof cost $750,000, Grant discovers the fairy tale of happy servants promoted by more than one strong, elegant dowager in her 80s who won’t concede that any of the house servants who were called family were actual slaves.

That fairy tale is promoted by the locally famous Tableaux, a yearly theatrical event put on by rival garden clubs (who battle each other while keeping the antebellum homes running) at which children dance in more than one event and where each garden club’s Royal Court presides with a king and queen. Mothers in Natchez want their children to perform in the Tableaux, and therefore can be influenced to help in the activities that keep the city running. Those enlightened women who try to bring the tragedy of African American history into the Tableaux are met with ridicule, scorn and outrage from the fundamentalists who want the Tableaux to keep to the mythology of happy servants and singing field hands.

Grant shows how the mantle of resistance against racism and the Gone with the Wind romance has been taken up by many notables in Natchez, including the family of Natchez’s most famous resident, Greg Iles, a best-selling thriller writer. When his daughter Madeline was elected as Queen by the Pilgrimage Garden Club in 2015, she decided to use her power to make the Tableaux less racist. But in the poor part of the city, notable African Americans have worked just as hard to draw attention to the cauldron of misery that Natchez represents as a stronghold of pre-Civil War slavery.

The streaming racial debate that has spread swiftly into every artery of the USA during its 2020 pandemic crisis finds one of its chief sources (a never-stilled geyser) here in this spot on the Mississippi river where tens of thousands of manacled (men) or roped together (women) slaves were transported on riverboats. Here, these poor souls were sold at auctions after being rested and fattened up, the men dressed in outlandish top hats, the women in calico dresses and both sexes forced to submit to the grease of vegetables boiled with pork fat rubbed into their skin. Of all stories, none is more heartbreaking or more written of than that of the man nicknamed Prince.

Truly no story from The Deepest South of All so much got under my skin (and I yearned to get back to the book at the end of each work day) as the tale of the African Muslim prince born as Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima. Son of King Sori in Timbo in the highlands of Futa Jalon in what is now Guinea, Ibrahima was an educated young man who read, wrote and spoke Arabic as well as five African tongues. He was a valiant warrior who was the favored son of his father. One day, while returning home after a victorious battle, he and his men were caught by a warring African tribe and sold into slavery. If not for accidentally running into the same Irish doctor who visited West Africa and enjoyed his father’s royal hospitality decades earlier, Ibrahima, who accepted his fate as a slave for forty years and who was known to never smile, might never have had the chance to return to Africa (if only to die there).

It is easy to deduce that the controversy of slave-trading’s origins in Natchez has much to do with its draw on so many odd characters. Despite the gossip mill, no single character or set of characters can claim more attention than the issue of slavery itself and Natchez’s undeniable glory at the expense of human rights. It may be the oddest place in America and yet it serves a purpose as a mirror of ourselves. The Deepest South of All, one of the most fascinating books I have read this decade, dares us to look at our own reflection. #The Deepest South of All # Richard Grant #NetGalley #Simon & Schuster

Natchez, Mississippi is a very eccentric and quirky city in the southwest portion of the state. It has been described as being a little version of New Orleans, Louisiana and less like the rest of Mississippi. It has an interesting history, one in which it was Pro-Union during the Civil War even when Mississippi seceded but still promoted the institution of slavery. The citizens of Natchez consist of liberals and conservatives and their current mayor is a Black gay man who received 91% of the vote. This all may seem like progress to the naked eye but Natchez continues to promote a view of the past that they just can’t seem to let go and it mostly revolves around their romanticized view of the old antebellum South. Richard Grant’s forthcoming book The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi covers the complicated history and recent events of this Mississippi town.

Grant’s book alternates between current day Natchez and a story about an African prince named Abdulrahman Ibrahima, who was enslaved in the town. The modern accounts focus on the mostly white traditions that venerate the Old South through its garden clubs, banquets, historical tours, and the Tableaux play. All of these festivities promoted a Lost Cause/Pro-Confederate view of the South which seldom mentioned slavery and when it did it promoted the false narrative that slaves were happy and slavery wasn’t so bad. The story of Ibrahima, on the other hand, is a fascinating biography of a prince and his never ending fight for freedom.

Grant introduces the reader to unforgettable characters such as Ser Boxley (pictured on the left of the book cover), a Black activist who advocates for the true history of slavery to be told in Natchez and Greg Iles, the white bestselling author who consults with Natchez elites to put more slavery stories into the plays and other festivities. Both individuals face resistance from older white Natchez citizens as well as tourists, who don’t want to hear anything about slavery because it makes them upset, they just want to see the nice old houses. These same resistors vent against what they see as political correctness run amok. This part of the book reminded me so much of our current debate on Confederate statutes and how supporters say its erasing history, albeit a false one.

Grant is an amazing storyteller. He writes about Nellie Jackson, a Black woman who owned a brothel for 60 years in Natchez. Everyone in town including law enforcement knew about it and was ok with it. However, it was her more activist role in the civil rights movement that fascinated me. Grant also chronicles the open interracial relationships that occurred in the 19th Century and the current day white and black descendants of those relationships who acknowledge each other as family. The more I read this book the more I came away with how strange this town was and is. I could not get enough of it.

The book ends with Natchez remaining a very complicated city. Small progress has been made on some fronts while other efforts on progress are rolled back, as is life. Overall, The Deepest South of All is an amazing book that has led me on a path to learning more about Natchez especially its Black history. It has introduced me to several films, such as Prince Among Slaves, Mississippi Madam: The Life of Nellie Jackson, and Black Natchez, that I will be checking out in the near future. If you love learning about the South and its history then you will enjoy reading about this unusual city.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Richard Grant for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. The Deepest South of All will be released on September 1, 2020.

Man, I loved this book!

The Deepest South of All by Richard Grant reminded me a lot of one of my very favorite books and authors, Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horowitz. It's got that same kind of sharp curiosity and insight, and shares the stories of Natchez, Mississippi in a way that says as much about the storytellers as the town.

English by birth, the author explores the quirks and secrets of Natchez from the POV as an outsider, and is able to ask questions and get the truth out of locals in a way that would seem almost impossible otherwise. He dishes with the Grand Dames of the social clubs, the black activists, and local officials in a manner and tone that is both objective and engaging.

Interwoven among the local color commentary is the story of Abd al Rahman Ibrahima, the prince of the west African country of Futa Jalon who was sold into slavery by a rival warlord and eventually sold to Thomas Foster, a plantation owner in Natchez. At the time of his capture and enslavement, Ibrahima spoke six languages and was in every way a member of the royal ruling class - a fact which makes his enslavement all the more difficult and confusing. Ibrahima's story. The author does a great job of using Ibrahima's story to push forward various storylines related to modern-day Natchez. (FYI a 2007 documentary titled Prince Among Slaves tells a more complete story of Ibrahima's life, and is available on Amazon Prime)

There's a lot of meat in this book - more than I expected from what's billed primarily as a travel book. The issues of race are very much in-your-face in Natchez, a place that still celebrates the Confederacy and is still deeply racially divided when it comes to everything from neighborhoods and housing to social activities. More than one of the people interviewed in the book speaks to the local belief that the past is alive in Natchez, and having visited the city on a number of occasions, I'd have to say I agree.

I know I won't look at Natchez the same way again after reading this book - and that's a good thing. There's much more to the place than just well=-preserved Antebellum homes and beautiful gardens, and the author does a great job of bringing that reality to the reader.

This review is based on an advance copy read.

This is a book of parts. It's about well-off white women who maintain antebellum houses via garden clubs and increasingly anachronistic money raising events. There are various Black leaders/activists who have made efforts to highlight the forgotten or ignored history of Blacks in Natchez. There are chapters on a few different eras of the city's past and one on schools showing how complicated that subject is. Interspersed throughout all this is the story of Ibrahima, a Fulani prince who was captured, enslaved, eventually freed. His whole story is quite cinematic.
Grant takes these various stories and constructs, not so much a snapshot, as a few album pages about Natchez, it's culture, it's people. To me by far the most informative chapter is about the Civil Rights movement of the 60s. Not simply the power of the KKK and the corruption of law enforcement, but the reaction from the Black citizens, the Parchman Ordeal and the ignorance/denial/oblivion of many whites to any of this. This book was much more satisfying than I expected because Grant gives a fairly well rounded picture of his subjects.

Bravo,Richard Grant.I didn't think I could like another book as much as Dispatches from Pluto, but you did it again. I live 70 miles north of Natchez. I thought I knew all the stories, not even close. The stories weave modern day and antebellum together, masterfully. You learn about slaves, and the many characters living in Natchez, past and present. This is a must read for anyone curious about life in the deep south, past and present. cheers! Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced copy.I can't wait for the release so I can buy some for friends. @RichardGrant #thedeepestsouthofall @simon&Schuster

I absolutely adored Grant's previous book, Dispatches from Pluto, so I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to read this one ahead of time and review it. And then when I found out it was about Natchez, one of my favorite towns in America, I was even more excited.

I have attended the Tablaeux the book refers to in Natchez. A friend of mine was even Queen. I've been to Natchez dozens of time and love going there for a weekend getaway. Like Grant, I've found the paradoxes of Natchez to be fascinating for years.

I remember learning, as he mentions in the book, that so many of the large plantation owners in Natchez were from the North and sided with the Union when war broke out, which seems so bizarre. I wish he had explored that a little deeper.

I love Grant's style of writing. He truly tries to observe and explain, while reserving judgment most of the time. His take on the modern south is hysterically funny at times, sad at others. I think it does encourage us to be more reflective about where we live and see it from fresh eyes.

If you enjoy modern travel writing or humor about regions of our country, you will enjoy this book. It's rare that a book makes you laugh so much and reflect so deeply, both at the same time.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary copy!

An excellent book for travelogue enthusiasts, this book is much more than the usual architectural and geographical facts about Natchez, Mississippi. The title, The Deepest South of All, is appropriate for the deep cultural roots of the citizens. Natchez certainly has its share of varied personalities. Equally important are the history of slavery and the area’s cultural customs for current-day civil rights. I am grateful for the advanced copy from Simon and Schuster and Net Galley.

Not exactly what I thought it would be, but still a stark look into the particular kind of racial divide you get when you go to the South. Richard Grant travels to Natchez, Mississippi where he compares the long-standing tradition of wealthy White Southerners to perform the Tableaux, a depiction of “the way of life for Natchezians in a pre-Civil War era.” Over several decades, the Tableaux conveniently left the lives of Black Natchezians out--a few halfhearted attempts were made to address slavery, but were eventually scrapped. This gaudy pageant is compared against the small monument at The Forks in the Road, the site of a former slave market where thousands of Black people’s lives changed forever.

What I think Grant does well is also compare the monotony of the Tableaux against the much more interesting story of Abd al Rahman Ibrahima, also known as Prince (as he was an enslaved prince from Futa Jalon, located in modern day Guinea). I don’t want to give away too much of his story, but Ibrahima of course suffers terribly as a slave for much of his life, finding some joy in starting a family. Toward the end of his life, he seems to experience a reversal of fortune, and as a reader I hoped that he would get some measure of justice. I think ultimately this revealed my ignorance as a White American woman to have any expectation that this man would finally achieve some lasting happiness.

Some other interesting aspects of this book included Nellie Jackson, the infamous brothel owner who was later burned alive. I’d watched a documentary on this before so none of the information presented was new, but it’s still a shocking story. Grant also includes some anecdotes about education in present-day Natchez, and the racial divide between Black Americans feeling their children deserve a facility that isn’t crumbling, and White Americans feeling that they shouldn’t have to pay taxes for a school their children don’t go to.

This is a story about greed, ignorance, corruption, entitlement, and everything else that comes with discussing race in America, particularly race in the South. It’s not an enjoyable read, but hopefully for many it will illustrate how far we have to go to acknowledge and unravel the oppressive system we put in place hundreds of years ago.

The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi by Richard Grant (4 Stars)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this one down! Written by bestselling travel writer Richard Grant, this is a glimpse into the town of Natchez, Mississippi. Natchez once had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in America, with its wealth built on cotton and the backs of slaves. At one time, it had the second-largest slave market in the south. Today, it is a dichotomy of liberalism, having elected its first gay black mayor with 91% of the vote, yet still dressing up in hoopskirts and Confederate uniforms to keep tradition alive, and ignoring outrageously insensitive and appalling displays of racism (such as a 28’ mammy building that is a restaurant).

This book chronicles Natchez history then and now. Natchez is full of beautiful antebellum homes, and I found myself looking each one up so I could picture it as I read. Indeed, it is hard to reconcile the beauty with the slavery that made it all possible.

The most fascinating part of the book was the life and times of Abdul-Rahman ibn Ibrahima Sori, of royal lineage and captured as a slave in Fouta Jallon, Guinea, West Africa. Upon learning of his nobility, his master named him Prince. Prince spent 40 years as a slave before being freed and returning home with his wife, leaving the rest of his family behind. I won’t spoil the story with any more details.

Present-day Natchez is full of eccentric characters:

The wealthy society women who run the two rival garden clubs and raise funds for preservation. Their antics to upstage each other reads like fraternity pranks.

A 6-5” antique dealer who enters a clothing store, drops his gloves on the ground for his manservant to pick-up, then drops his cane, then allows his mink coat to drop to the floor in a puddle.

Nellie Jackson, a black woman who openly operated a brothel for 60 years. She and her “girls” reported to the FBI all the pillowtalk heard from KKK members.

A couple who decorates 167 Christmas trees with costume jewelry.

A former concert pianist who suffered a hand injury and had a complete mental collapse. He turned his home into a hovel that crumbled around him and wore nothing but a burlap sack with a hole cut for his head.

The list goes on.

Racism is addressed by Grant, giving both black and white viewpoints. And, as we all know, there isn’t any easy fix. We each need to try and make our little corner of the world a better place.

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book. A British author visits, stays in and then revisits Natchez Mississippi to unveil the city’s idiosyncrasies, bizarre personalities and tortured attempts to work through historic atrocities. I found myself laughing out loud at many of the conversations and reminiscing- only to gasp at the sheer denial and reframing of events being discussed. This city, with the highest concentration of Antebellum homes in the country, is dripping with money - and the antiques that money can buy (enough costume jewelry to dress 167 Christmas trees anyone?). That wealth is matched by the collective ability to deny the past so thoroughly, that current reenactments of traditions still include hoop skirt, Confederate Flags and no mention of slavery.

Grant introduces us to the few people attempting to change the culture of Natchez, some bravely and some reluctantly. These singular doers and thinkers need to navigate ancient rivalries (think hoop skirts meet Mean Girls), deep denials (they were servants and were loved) and dismissive attitudes (it was so long ago, let it go already) - all agains the backdrop of economic reliance on tourists looking for the Charming South.

I couldn’t put this book down and found myself repeating my deep appreciation for living on the East Coast. There is so much history and culture and religion and attitudes revealed here. Strongly recommend.

Dnf
Just couldn't get into the book
I will not leave a review anywhere.
Thanks for granting me access to this book

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50896716-the-deepest-south-of-all" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592946164l/50896716._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50896716-the-deepest-south-of-all">The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/74343.Richard_Grant">Richard Grant</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3419475564">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review. Really enjoyed this book on Natchez, Mississippi. I had an employer from near Natchez so I have always been interested in the culture and the preserved Antebellum Mansions. What a wonderful, gossipy, travelogue of the history and wonderful people of Natchez. Loved reading about Greg Isles involvement in the community. Odd ball characters and warring garden clubs make this a fun read. I will definitely put Natchez on my bucket list to visit. <br /><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5483119-sherry">View all my reviews</a>

“The soaring white columns, the manacles, the dingy apartment buildings at the Forks of the Road, the tendrils of Spanish moss hanging from the gnarled old trees, the humid fragrant air itself: everything seem charged with the lingering presence of slavery, in a way that I’d never experienced anywhere else.”

The author of this book is an English travel writer who immersed himself in the culture of Natchez, Mississippi. I was expecting something similar to “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” with its charming eccentrics. There was some of that here, although the citizens of Natchez didn’t seem all that eccentric or charming to me. The town, however felt like it has been sealed up in a bubble, with very little exchange of air with the larger world. Tourists come to see the beautiful antebellum mansions. Recently, a small memorial was added acknowledging that this town was the site of the second largest slave market in the Deep South. The book was a very interesting combination of contemporary Natchez (presided over by a bunch of elderly, white women and their dueling garden clubs) and historical Natchez. “In most of the country, especially if you’re white, it’s fairly easy to believe that slavery happened a long time ago and has nothing to do with the current racial situation in America. To sustain that belief in Natchez, however, requires strenuous denial and extra-large blinders because visual reminders of slavery are all over this racially divided town, is marketing slogan until the 1990s was ‘Where the Old South Still Lives’.”

I was intrigued by the delicate dance they perform in Natchez - two tiny steps forward, then three steps back in a retreat to their hoopskirts and Confederate uniforms. “Asked to describe [Natchez], she said, ‘we are house-crazy. We adore old homes, antiques, throwing parties, making it fabulous. Gay men love it here. Natchez is very liberal and tolerant in some ways, and very conservative and racist in other ways, although I will say that our racists aren’t generally hateful or mean. Nor do they think they’re racists.’”

One of the fascinating parts of the book was the story of the muslim, African prince, Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima, who was captured after a battle and sold into slavery. In 1788 he was sold to a planter in Natchez. Despite the fact that he was royal, wealthy, sophisticated and educated in law, geography, astronomy, mathematics, and the Koran, he remained a slave for about 40 years, until he was freed after the intervention of President John Quincy Adams. The story of his life and what ultimately became of him was very compelling.

No sources were given for any of the historical details in this book. I don’t know whether that was because I was reading an ARC or because the author is not an historian and was just not that interested in documenting his facts. He is also prone to hyperbole: “Mississippi has produced more great writers and musicians per capita than any other state in America”. Really? I demand proof. Another habit of his that got on my nerves was his irrelevantly pointing out which of the contemporary men is gay (including one famous actor who I had never seen identified as gay before). Notwithstanding my quibbles, I really enjoyed the book. 4.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Wow, I loved this book. It was such an interesting look into the such a unique spot in the Deep South. It was wonderfully written and explored so many aspects of what makes Natchez stand out.

What a unusual town Natchez, Mississippi seems to be. I don’t know how different it is from the rest of the Deep South but to a New Yorker like myself, it all seems like such a different world.

The contrast between the story of Ibrahim in the past and of the white excess of the present is pretty jarring. Even more so because it seems to be a past that some want to hold on to and so many romanticize. It’s fascinating to explore both worlds, though in doing so, it’s obvious how much more work there still is left to

I have never given much thought to Natchez, Mississippi before reading The Deepest South of All by Richard Grant. In this thoroughly researched book Grant describes the pristine antebellum homes, records interviews and gives a local history. This book alternates between present day Natchez and the story of an enslaved African Prince, Abd al Rahman Ibrahima. The history was very interesting, I constantly found myself looking up the homes Grant mentions that he visited or stayed in to see what they look like. The Pilgrimage described seems like such a bizarre tradition. Like Natchez this book is full of characters and I would love to read a whole biography on Nellie Jackson. Ibrahima’s story was heartbreaking, but I feel it kept the book grounded and gives context to how these huge homes and fortunes were built, through stolen labour.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer an honest review of this book.

Richard Grant 's compelling storytelling and expert technique of weaving together the past and present of Natchez, Mississippi made for an unforgettable study of the cultural anthropology of the riverside town. The present-day people whom he profiles are a mix of eccentrics, town leaders and notables, and people trying to heal the wounds of the past all while firmly (and often unapologetically) clinging to the heritage and history of their ancestors. Grant masterfully intersperses present-day events with the history of an enslaved man, Ibrahim, and tells his tale from capture until his death at age 67 in modern-day Liberia. It makes for a thoughtful juxtaposition to the modern day traditions of Natchez that can appear to border on the absurd, especially to an outsider.

The reader can tell that Grant is charmed and intrigued by the people in this micro-culture of the South and the population of individuals who are outsized in their personalities, insular focus, and pride of place. I found this book to be a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening experience, which prompted me to independently take a deeper dive into many of the topics and traditions that were detailed in its pages.

Well I absolutely loved this book. Just like it promised, it presented a completely unique world that I was wholly unaware of. The eccentric stories and people of Natchez are so deep and moist and delicious, and while they entertain to no end, it is incredibly intriguing and sobering (pun intended) to hear the stories about racial divide in a town that prides itself on being liberal in a very conservative region. I highly recommend the book.