Thank you Books Fluent for allowing me to read and review Talmadge Farm by Leo Daughtry on NetGalley.

Published: 09/06/24

Narrator: Justin Price

Stars: 4

Enjoyed immensely the historical tobacco backdrop. There are suspicious tidbits appropriately dropped throughout the story that smoking is bad for your health. Is that the author taking liberties or historically factual? I didn't check. But, I appreciated them being added. It does bring the story medically to where we are presently.

The narration worked for me. Price complimented the writing beautifully.

I found Daughtry's debut work engrossing. The year is 1957 and the farm owner is prejudice. The story is unpleasant, sickening, and touching.

I recommend to mature historical fiction readers. This read so well for me, I would gift this in a basket with wine and nuts.

The narration was difficult at times for me. But the story was fantastic. I love a period slice-of-life. Especially one set in the south. This scratched itch for me.

Set in 1957, Daughtry does a wonderful job exploring the issues of sharecropping and the struggles which black families endured in a “post-slavery” south. I rarely see books that dive into these issues, and I thought it was brilliant to contrast the experiences of a white sharecropper with a black sharecropper working on the same plantation.

Landowner Gordon Talmadge must reckon with his stubbornness, clinging to the past while trying to bring his farm, and his family-owned bank, into a different world than the one his father inherited. His prejudices prove to be stumbling blocks for his family and for everyone they touch in the community.

The narration was excellently done by a single cast member whose voice expertly showcased the characters, especially Jake, son of the black sharecropper. I highly recommend this book as an audiobook, as I think it enhanced the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

“Talmadge Farm” by Leo Daughtry and brilliantly narrated by Justin Price is the story of the Talmadge family and the two families who are sharecroppers on their tobacco farm in North Carolina. When the book opens in 1957, Gordon Talmadge is the patriarch of the family–his wife Claire and his sons, Junior and David. He runs his inherited tobacco farm (from a distance–the work is really carried out by a black family and a white family living on his property) and he is the president of a local bank founded by his father. When the story opens, Gordon is quite dislikeable and lacks empathy for all those around him–especially those who work for him. His oldest son, Junior is no better. When Junior tries to take advantage of the Black share croper’s daughter, she and her brother fight back. This results in a serious (and well deserved!) injury for Junior, forcing the brother to leave the town for fear for his own safety. Young black men were killed for far less back then. Over time, the fortunes of all three families change–some for the worse and some for the better.

I really enjoyed listening to this book and I would definitely want to read more by Leo Daughtry after this brilliant debut. Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC of this incredible novel. My opinion is my own.

The setting is the 1950’s-1960’s in North Carolina, during the Vietnam era
Proctor Talmadge worked hard to establish the Talmadge Tobacco Farm; he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. His grandson, Gordon Talmadge inherited the farm. He and his wife Clair and two sons, Junior and David, didn’t believe in getting their hands dirty, they were privileged white. Gordon has never cared much about what he considers the lower class: people that get their hands dirty, people that toil for a living, people like the sharecroppers that work his land. Gordon prances around the bank, his family owns. He ogles lustfully after his secretary and expects the whole town to be at his beck and call, following his command, after all he’s a Talmadge.
There are two sharecroppers, one is black, and one is white. Will and Louis do the hard, backbreaking work in the fields, raising the tobacco crop. Their pay is barely enough for their family to survive on. Ivy the wife of one of the sharecroppers is the maid for the Talmadge’s. The men and their families live on the farm in cabins that are not much more than a shack. The cold air blows through the cracks in the winter; barely keeping the temperature above freezing.
This is the story of relationships, how the characters interact with each other. There is a message of tolerance and love hidden within the pages of this book. There was a lot going on in the late 50’s and early 70’s, the world was shifting fast: Vietnam War, integration, agricultural science, sharecropping, the decrease in tobacco production. Faith plays a large role in this tale.
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. My reviews are my personal opinion.

Thank you NetGalley & #BooksForward for the opportunity to listen to this novel.
I am always so happy when a "read now" in NetGalley turns out to be a great story.
I loved the writing style of ending a chapter abruptly then filling in the details in the next chapter.
The story moved quickly without a ton of details weighing it down.
I don't always visualize the setting and characters, but this book felt like watching a tv show.
I thought the author did a great job tackling the complexities of race relations of the time period and entitled white men.
Two things that made this story special for me personally,
1. My grandparents were tobacco farmers in Kansas into the early 70s, so I have fond memories of watching the process. My petite granny tying the leave to the poles for hanging and the other hard labor she did while also raising 5 kids and running a household. My grandpa working a full time foundry job and then farming after hours and weekends.
2. The narrator's accent is spot on to a dear friend that lives near the NC/VA line. I couldn't help but think of my old shipmate telling the story. I thought the performance was great.
I will be on the look out for future books from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Books Fluent for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

I can’t even put into words how much I loved this book. It took me a bit to get into it, I was very very confused at first when it started switching characters. I didn’t know them well enough to understand who was who and who they were related too but once I figured it out and got used to the writing style I fell in love with the story and the characters. I think for a book that wasn’t a series this is the most I’ve cried and that’s so embarrassing because I was listening to it at work, every 10 min I’m sure people were like WHATS HAPPENING?! I can’t recommend enough. Beautiful story.

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 5th November and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of December.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this audiobook.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The story flowed well through the years, telling the saga of the Talmadge family and their sharecroppers, two families, one white, one black. The narrator gave it just enough flavor that you felt you were back in the late 50's/early 60's at the tobacco farm and in their small town in North Carolina. The main characters were well developed and fit the story well.

Gordon, the owner and patriarch of the Talmadge farm was bigoted and entitled, as rich white men of the south were in those days. He was also the president of the Farmers and Merchant Bank, which was founded by his father to support the local community. His wife, Clara, was seeing how he behaved as well as how his oldest son was taking after him, but remained a polite lady and did not say anything. His younger son was pretty much ignored and allowed to study and learn to play chess rather than be the drinking, carousing, football star that his brother was.

The sharecropper families were treated as employees by Gordon, but as friends by Clara. As time went on, these relationships played a large role in the telling of the story.

Times were changing and Gordon was not willing to have his bank keep up with the times. He refused to listen to the science saying smoking was bad for you and therefore his farm and his bank were in jeopardy of failing. He kept saying "boys will be boys" when his oldest son got into trouble, and was surprised when his younger son took an interest in the daughter of his sharecropper.

The second generation of the Talmadge family as well as those of the two sharecropper families managed to move foreword with the times, and Clara found her voice, leaving Gordon somewhat behind. The book had an expected ending, but it was not presented as an "I told you so" moment, but a good conclusion to the saga.

Talmadge Farm is a book that I wish I could give higher than a five star. The story, the characters, the many different themes explored from race to socioeconomic status to the changing in times and technology, society, humane treatment, families and relationships. It’s deeply written, well connected, extremely engaging book. Every character was excellently written, the book worked so well and wrapped up so satisfyingly.

I absolutely loved this book! This historical fiction debut novel for Leo Daughtry does an excellent job at capturing the social and economic challenges for Eastern North Carolina in the 1950’s and 1960’s. A lot of my family is from that area, and lived there around that time, so it was really interesting to hear a novel based on that region, in a setting close to what it may have been like for them. I do wish some parts went into more detail, such as Jake’s early years in Philadelphia, and Will Craddock (keeping these examples vague so as to not give anything away), but all in all, I really enjoyed this book and it’s definitely one I will find myself thinking of now that it’s done.

TALMADGE FARM by Leo Daughtry

Narration by Justine Price was nicely done.

Thank you NetGalley and Books Fluent for the audiobook

3.5 stars
A debut historical fiction novel set amid the tobacco fields in 1950s and 1960s, North Carolina. Wealthy landowner, Gordon Talmadge, lives a lavish lifestyle he inherited. He has two sharecroppers, one white and one black. These two sharecroppers have big dreams for their children. An attack by the landowners son, Junior, sets off a chain of events in this sweeping drama following three families navigating the changing times of the diverse and complex history of the south.

The characters are well developed and I liked Leo Daughtry’s simple style of writing. This was a decent debut and I look forward to more from Leonard Daughtry. Touching upon family, segregation, racism, rape, misogyny, vulnerability, tobacco farming, migrants, resilience, and reconciliation.

Well developed characters and this is a well researched story. Excellent use of multiple PIV and the story flows well. This is an impressive debut novel.

Thsnks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook