I really felt this was a good read. It is southern fiction that covers a time during the 1950's to the 1960's in North Carolina on a tobacco farm. I felt that the characters were well written, however I felt that the plot points in many places were so set up that it made it obvious what was going to happen which is something I do not care for. I liked the complexity in regards to tobacco farming and how this was well researched. Thanks for the ARC,NetGalley.

Wonderful debut novel! The story flows well and there are some really great characters that I connected with. The narrator also did a great job and I'd highly recommend this book to everyone. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very hard story to read but an important part of our history to remember. Lots of triggers but a very good book if you can handle it. Very well done!

I enjoyed this family saga from the 1950s-'70s that highlighted an old North Carolina tobacco farmer and the sharecroppers who lived on the farm as things and times changed.
Gordon is a good ole boy- owner of the Talmage Tobocca farm and local bank president. All titles were handed down to him by his father. His wife Claire and sons Junior and David are enjoying their privilege as wealthy white folks. Sharecroppers Will and Louis and their families also live on the land- one white, one black highlight the life of a sharecropper and their families- Louis’s wife, Ivy is the Tal]madge’s maid. The book focuses on all the characters and their kids and at times, it is a lot of characters and Points of view to keep track of, but overall I think it flowed nicely. The book highlights the changing times of the late ’50s 70’s- desegregation, the Vietnam War, the changing economy from agriculture and the end of the sharecropper model, and the start of the decline of the Tobacco industry. I had limited knowledge of tobacco and tobacco farming and this book focused a lot on that which I found interesting. I actually started this book on a trip to North Carolina and as I rode to my destination Winston Salem, I found myself wondering of Hobbsfield was a real place and if I was passing through. I ended up staying in an old RJ Reynolds building and found myself researching even more about the history of Tobacco and North Carolina. I hate Gordon during most of the novel, but he seemed so real and as he resisted change, I thought to how so many other men have made this same mistake and squandered away their family fortunes trying to stay in the past. This is a great historical fiction family saga that provides a lost of historical background. It is not a plot-driven novel, but a great novel about how interconnected families navigate changing times.

The PDF layout of this book was extremely confusing. Before publishing the book, I believe there should be some revisions to the layout, especially for the Kindle version. I thought that it might have every book from net galley however, when I checked another book it was alright. For this reason I can not rate the book very high.

I will try to reread this book at a later date.

I expected Talmadge Farm to be about the history of the tobacco farms and perhaps their demise with the changes brought about in modern times. The characters were one-dimensional and the overall story read like an apology fantasy. I was disappointed.

I prefer not to. publish a review of this book on Amazon or Goodreads.

When I saw an early review for this book, I knew it was one I wanted to read. My maternal grandparents had a tobacco farm in North Carolina - just a couple of counties over from the area the author is from - and I grew up going there every summer in the 50's and 60's. And often the tobacco harvest was in full gear when we'd visit. That family farm is still in operation and has been for over 100 years, now run by my cousin's family. All of which to say - I expected to relate to many aspects of the story. And indeed I did. Make no mistake - my grandparents were simple farmers, period. They didn't own the local bank, as the Talmadge family did. Their home was a farmhouse - much nicer than the sharecroppers' cabins on Talmadge farm, but a far cry from the stately home place on Talmadge Farm.
The Talmadges are an old, established family in Hobbsfield, NC. Gordon Talmadge was born on the farm, his father established the local bank as well as running his farm. But he isn't really a farmer - he leaves the actual labor of farming the land to two sharecropping families who live on the property. But the times they are a-changin', not always to Gordon's liking, and certainly not in favor of his chosen lifestyle. Daughtry's book shows the effects of the changing times not only on the Talmadge family, but also on the families of his two sharecropper families, one white, the other black. Their stories are told in a mostly linear fashion, but there are times where incidents occur that take a bit of time to be resolved - he moves on to a few months later, and the ultimate outcome is revealed in that next chapter or even later. Gordon Talmadge isn't a likeable character, and has brought up his older son to be far too much like him, but he's certainly symbolic of many of his peers of that era. I really enjoyed this story and the arcs for the different characters, and the look back at farming in a different, and changing, era.
Thanks to Netgalley and Story Merchant Books for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

Talmadge Farm is a place you might want to be in the 1950s and 60s, depending on where on where on the farm you lived. The story is one of the wealthy Talmadge folks, steeped in prejudice against the poor and racially intolerant. The world, however, is changing and it changes drastically for the Talmadge as the book progresses through several decades. We meet the patriarch who raises tobacco leaving the hard work of his tenant farmers and the black seasonal workers. He is the town banker, society member, and typical of the southern aristocracy. His wife is a good woman who was raised in the south. She sniffs the winds of change, often leaving her husband, aghast. The people evolve as the country changes in this novel of tobacco, poverty, racism, and intolerance and how the south, reluctantly came of age. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thanks to #NetGalley#LeoDaughtry#TalmadgeFarm for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An enjoyable and enlightening story about the highs and lows of tobacco farming in North Carolina during the 1950’s and 1960’s. I loved the author’s descriptive writing - I could clearly picture Talmadge Farm in all its glory.

A great plot that takes the reader on a journey with the Talmadge, Sanders and Craddock families over more than a decade. The story kept me engaged from beginning to end and reached a conclusion that perfectly reflected the theme (and Biblical reference from the book of Galatians) that “A man reaps what he sows.” It felt satisfying that those characters who had endured a range of hardships in the earlier chapters, were later able to gain accomplishment, happiness and hope for the future.

A fantastic debut novel from Leo Daughtry inspired by his own personal experiences of growing up among tobacco fields in North Carolina. Highly recommended.

I am grateful to the publisher, Story Merchant Books, via NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry to say that I did not really enjoy this book. It appears that I am the only one that feels that way but I have to be honest. It has great potential and I understand it's the author's debut novel. I always hate when I have to give a not so glowing review and it's a first time author. I can't lie though. I found this one just was not that good.

While reading about different events that happened it would just stop. Not go on. Like when Gordon Jr's wrecked his vehicle. A girl was hurt. What happened? Did they get sued? Did she die? what happened. I admit I only read 50% of this book before I finally said that is enough but still.... End things. Don't start something then leave us hanging. As a reader that is just unacceptable for me.

Also there should be trigger warnings on this book. In the first 25% there was an attempted rape and then a full on rape that happened years previous. There is a lot going on and this book does have great potential but right now I just can't take time to finish it. I'm so disappointed in it.

Great setting. Great timelines. None of the characters were likable in my opinion. They didn't grow. They were basically dull. It could be descriptive in places and you hate Gordon right off the bat. He's an insufferable pig. His oldest son is just like him. His youngest seemed nice but isn't really talked about much.

I'm sorry but this book is not what I hoped it would be.

Thank you #NetGalley, #LeoDaughtry, #StoryMerchantBooks, for this ARC. This is my true feelings about this book.

Three stars and that is being very generous.

This is a story that takes place in the 1950's and 1960's on a big tobacco farm in Hobbsfield, North Carolina this farm started in the late 1800's and has been handed to the current generation the third generation which is one Gordon Talmadge and his family whereas you will see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Everyone in the areas knows about the Talmadge house and Gordon Talmadge. Gordon also happens to be the president of the local bank that was started by his father to help out the local farmers. But Gordon is full of himself and always likes to be the center of attention and sure likes to spend his money. There are three families who live on Talmadge farm with the other two families being sharecroppers who don't not have much more then love for each other and their faith. This is still a time where there is a separation of race, and it is an undertone along with the difference between those who have it and those who do not. This is the type of story that can be a read it in one sitting if you have a little bit of time, it is a great read. I definitely recommend it.

I enjoyed this book. It dealt a lot with family dynamics through generations. I found myself really liking many of the characters. One was hard to get behind, but there were major reasons for that. There is swearing in the book, so if that bothers you, I would avoid it. Overall, I thought the author was a good storyteller and I never wanted to stop reading!