Part travel book, part southern history book, part exploration of family legacy, this book carries the reader throughout the deep South. While touching on southern literature and historical places, the author’s primary focus is on the South’s racial history and how it has been glossed over and ignored. This book provides information that would benefit a less knowledgeable reader, but it also provides insight for those who think they know southern history and landmarks. I highly recommend this book!

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't get into it as much as I wanted to. I loved the idea of going around the South to important areas and small towns and visiting historical moments in history and seeing how they've changed.

This is a very well written and thoroughly researched book. I’ve been always been interested in the American South from a sociological standpoint, and so this book was definitely up my street. I will say that there are some parts where it felt like an information bomb and it got a little dense/slow for me. I personally preferred the author’s personal anecdotes. I don’t think this is a non-fiction for everyone, but if you are interested in the subject matter, you will definitely enjoy it.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Extensively and thoroughly researched, this book gives a detailed history of antebellum and Civil War era racial injustices in the Deep South. The author personally travelled throughout the Deep South and tells stories of his own family's involvement in history, many of them previously unknown or forgotten.

For the casual reader, the book was almost too much of a good thing. I found myself skipping large sections of the book to focus on areas of particular interest to me. The author nailed the quirkiness of Tennessee in the Memphis chapter. I learned much about my home state that I had not read or heard before.

However, as an East Tennessean descended from a Union soldier and living in a former Union stronghold, there was a a lot in this book I just didn't get. My ilk generally doesn't do a lot a navel gazing about the Civil War, as do those descended from Confederate generals and the like. One scene towards the end of the book summed up the divide beautifully: a Confederate cemetery in Georgia contains flowery monuments and grand statements about the Lost Cause. A nearby Union cemetery simply has plain white crosses, lined up perfectly and without a lot of fanfare. The only words are the Gettysburg Address. Nothing has changed. Those of us descended from Unionists don't do a lot of reflection on the Civil War. Maybe we should, but that's a subject for another book.

This would be a great resource for Civil War buffs, Deep South reference libraries (personal or public), or those who feel the need to reflect on problematic family or community histories. Excellent book, beautifully researched.

Interesting book. Sites noted by Mr. Candler really deserved to have been better treated by society. The book seems to be a very good field guide to locating and visiting places of importance to the Black community and others interested in their history. I've noticed many place of importance to communities were being destroyed due to Urban Renewal. I always thought it was sad as so many other countries seem to preserve their historical places, The South has so much lost history. I am glad Mr. Candler feels the same way and has taken the time to document it. Must read if interested in complete histories of places visiting.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This delved deep into Southern history as the author and his friend traveled throughout the South. The author gives a bit of history and insight into each place they visit.

A very interesting and wll written book, especially for anyone interested in the South and its history. Peter Candler is a member of the famous (in Atlanta) family that started Coke. Thus he comes from a wealthy background, which shows through clearly and is just slightrly offputting. Nonetheless, he spell out lots of southern history that has not been taught in schools, for the most part.;
He kind of reflects his self guilt about his family history and their racist background.
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone interested in the south.

A Deeper South: The Beauty, Mystery, and Sorrow of the Southern Road
Pete Candler, Rosanne Cash
I love traveling on the back roads of the south, you never know what you will see but it is guaranteed to be interesting. Author Pete Candler takes readers on a journey that takes many backroads. He allows you the opportunity to consider what makes the south different and characteristic from the rest of the nation. The south has a personality of its own but you have to take the exit ramps and travel the backroads to get the true taste of the south.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes.