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Red Cotton Fields #1
The Red Cotton Fields
The Red Cotton Fields is a story written in the tradition of great historical epics. The story begins on a Georgia plantation in the year 1850, ending on the gold fields of Australia in the year 1884. This is a story surrounding three southern families (the plantation owners, the plantation overseer’s family, and a Negro slave family) leading up to and including the Civil War. Readers will experience the demise of a southern plantation and follow two of the plantation’s previous occupants (Bart Royal, the white overseer’s son, and Reiner Washington, an escaped slave) as they rise to become two of the richest men in the world. Also, The Red Cotton Fields is a classic love story between the plantation owner’s daughter, Holly Ballaster, and the overseer’s son, Bart Royal. The Red Cotton Fields is destined to become a classic. Read it and you will understand why.
543 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2003
612 people are currently reading
556 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 25, 2015
I am always drawn to historical fiction about slavery. This book just didn't do it for me - it is not a well written book. I actually gave up on it half way through!
September 27, 2022
BRAVO
Wow!!!! What a great read , this has been one of the best books I've read this summer!!! I love the story, the characters are so well developed. It was sad, heartwarming. It was a page truer! You must read this book. I want to know when's the tv series? Bravo
Wow!!!! What a great read , this has been one of the best books I've read this summer!!! I love the story, the characters are so well developed. It was sad, heartwarming. It was a page truer! You must read this book. I want to know when's the tv series? Bravo
July 26, 2024
Outstanding read!!
Loved this book! So many twists and turns kept me totally engrossed in the story! The characters are all well developed and feel like friends by the end of he book. I hated to see how end. Well done Michael Strickland!
Loved this book! So many twists and turns kept me totally engrossed in the story! The characters are all well developed and feel like friends by the end of he book. I hated to see how end. Well done Michael Strickland!
October 27, 2022
Red Hot Story
!over the book. As good as Gone With The wind. I love an epic story. Looking forward to the next in the series, starting it right now.
!over the book. As good as Gone With The wind. I love an epic story. Looking forward to the next in the series, starting it right now.
May 8, 2024
History and love story
This is a History book plus love story at its best. I bought all of the book series. Once you read this everything you learned in school comes back.
This is a History book plus love story at its best. I bought all of the book series. Once you read this everything you learned in school comes back.
August 17, 2012
I'm FINALLY at 85%. this was a very hard read. I cant wait for it to be over so I can move on. Review to come soon...
Do you want to hear the good first, or the bad?
Here's the good, since it will be short.
The overseer's son falls in love with the Masta's daughter. A Negro boy witnesses their lovemaking. The daughter lies to her father and brothers and says the negro raped her. The father, brothers, overseer, and his son hang the negro. Bart (overseer's son) could have told the truth but didn't. His family learns the truth, shuns Bart, and he runs away to Australia. That's the only good part. The first 10%.
The storyline of The Red Cotton Fields was well thought. I enjoyed the characters. Great detail was put into creating very different personalities. Despite it being the longest book I've read (or appeared so), I wanted to know what the final outcome would be.
Now for the bad...
I honestly thought about rewriting this book, for my own pleasure. As I said, I liked the story itself, but hated the other 75% of it. The writing was HORRIBLE. it was like a terrible "C" movie. Every other sentence ended in an exclamation mark. There were question marks where there was no question. Sometimes even the wrong CHARACTER names were used. Like Rebecca's. THERE WAS NO REBECCA IN THE STORY! The characters cursed ALL THE TIME. For no apparent reason. Not to mention all the crying. With every small event, everyone was crying, especially the men. I never knew men to cry as often as they did here. And the author's a MAN! Strange. The same sentences were repeated over and over. I cant tell you how many times it said "like I already said" and the word "anyways..." The characters rambled to their selves constantly! It was the most aggravating book to read. Every little event was drawn out over 2-3 pages. it was BEYOND frustrating! I could skip 4-5 pages at a time and miss NOTHING but repetitive inter dialog. Picture a movie where after every other sentence spoken, the character just stood there thinking about what they want to say but don't. ((sigh))
One of the biggest secrets took place in the beginning of the book, and I was DESPERATELY waiting for the character to come clean. it finally happens at 99%. And when it came out, it wasn't even a big deal. SO disappointing! This writing gets a big Thumbs Down from me.
Do you want to hear the good first, or the bad?
Here's the good, since it will be short.
The overseer's son falls in love with the Masta's daughter. A Negro boy witnesses their lovemaking. The daughter lies to her father and brothers and says the negro raped her. The father, brothers, overseer, and his son hang the negro. Bart (overseer's son) could have told the truth but didn't. His family learns the truth, shuns Bart, and he runs away to Australia. That's the only good part. The first 10%.
The storyline of The Red Cotton Fields was well thought. I enjoyed the characters. Great detail was put into creating very different personalities. Despite it being the longest book I've read (or appeared so), I wanted to know what the final outcome would be.
Now for the bad...
I honestly thought about rewriting this book, for my own pleasure. As I said, I liked the story itself, but hated the other 75% of it. The writing was HORRIBLE. it was like a terrible "C" movie. Every other sentence ended in an exclamation mark. There were question marks where there was no question. Sometimes even the wrong CHARACTER names were used. Like Rebecca's. THERE WAS NO REBECCA IN THE STORY! The characters cursed ALL THE TIME. For no apparent reason. Not to mention all the crying. With every small event, everyone was crying, especially the men. I never knew men to cry as often as they did here. And the author's a MAN! Strange. The same sentences were repeated over and over. I cant tell you how many times it said "like I already said" and the word "anyways..." The characters rambled to their selves constantly! It was the most aggravating book to read. Every little event was drawn out over 2-3 pages. it was BEYOND frustrating! I could skip 4-5 pages at a time and miss NOTHING but repetitive inter dialog. Picture a movie where after every other sentence spoken, the character just stood there thinking about what they want to say but don't. ((sigh))
One of the biggest secrets took place in the beginning of the book, and I was DESPERATELY waiting for the character to come clean. it finally happens at 99%. And when it came out, it wasn't even a big deal. SO disappointing! This writing gets a big Thumbs Down from me.
September 6, 2012
This is an awesome book! It has great potential for the big screen, or as a mini-series. The original version was riddled with spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. I've been fortunate to have been involved with the re-editing of the Kindle version and can assure readers that the error issues have been addressed. The book can now be read through without the frustration of past errors.
As far as the story itself, it starts out in the 1850s and goes through the Civil War years and beyond. It keeps you reading with a mix of adventure, love, history, humor, emotions, mystery ... all the things that keep you from putting the book down!
I highly recommend this book!
As far as the story itself, it starts out in the 1850s and goes through the Civil War years and beyond. It keeps you reading with a mix of adventure, love, history, humor, emotions, mystery ... all the things that keep you from putting the book down!
I highly recommend this book!
September 6, 2012
I read this story twice on my Kindle and enjoyed it just as much the second time around. The first time, I thought it was a great story in spite of the many spelling, word use and sentence structure errors. This has now been corrected making the second read even better. I would highly recommend this book.
October 8, 2012
If you enjoy historical novels, about the Civil War you will LOVE this one. I sue did.
July 13, 2018
I loved and hated this book
Oh the review I want to write but I'm one not to give away spoilers so I'll do my best with my feelings. At the beginning I loved Bert and Holly but at the end I loved Madeline and Scott. Bert and Holly to me once you got to know them was fake in today's time I would call them covert racists. I do not believe Bert loved Reiner it was all simply guilt. Scott and Madeline was at least real with who they were.
I'm glad the South received just what it deserved. I believe those slaves cried out to God who saw the inhumane treatment and all the hypocrisy of the South, Holly and Bert being prime examples, and dealt the South a punishment that they still are living today. I do believe also many people in the North wanted to free the slaves but that the war was more about the South's arrogance.
At times I loved this book and at times I just hated it but it had me thinking about many things and is that not what a good book is suppose to do? I'm now onto book2, Fields of Gold and Sorrow(Red Cotton Field Series) and have already indulged into the beginning of the book that like this one has captivated me.
Oh the review I want to write but I'm one not to give away spoilers so I'll do my best with my feelings. At the beginning I loved Bert and Holly but at the end I loved Madeline and Scott. Bert and Holly to me once you got to know them was fake in today's time I would call them covert racists. I do not believe Bert loved Reiner it was all simply guilt. Scott and Madeline was at least real with who they were.
I'm glad the South received just what it deserved. I believe those slaves cried out to God who saw the inhumane treatment and all the hypocrisy of the South, Holly and Bert being prime examples, and dealt the South a punishment that they still are living today. I do believe also many people in the North wanted to free the slaves but that the war was more about the South's arrogance.
At times I loved this book and at times I just hated it but it had me thinking about many things and is that not what a good book is suppose to do? I'm now onto book2, Fields of Gold and Sorrow(Red Cotton Field Series) and have already indulged into the beginning of the book that like this one has captivated me.
November 5, 2022
This was an amazing story but could have been written a lot better. Some of the scenes bordered on ridiculous. I would have given it 5 stars but the English was so bad....."anyways" was used over and over and over (no such word). "You're" was used many times instead of "your." "Lied" down was used many times. And so many more mistakes. There was a very poor job of editing if any at all. It was as a person from another culture wrote it. And all the men were constantly crying. And Holly swearing like a sailor. I'll not be reading the second book in the series. I've had enough of war.
April 16, 2020
This started really good. By the time I was halfway through it was getting a little repetitious. By the last quarter I was skimming pages of introspection and "what should I do?" questions that had been with the book from the beginning. It started like a historical fiction novel, and ended like a cheap romance novel. This historical parts were interesting. Did I mention that this book is 626 pages long?
September 25, 2020
I purchased this book because of the amazing reviews on Amazon and oh boy, they were all right. Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. The stories are just so beautiful, I felt like I was on a roallercoaster of emotions. There are so many turns and twist trough the book that I couldn't put this down until I ended. Can't wait for book two!
February 6, 2022
Fantastic read!!!
One of the best books I have read in a long while. Couldn’t put it down. I liked the descriptions of the south and southern culture that Strickland writes about, as well as the history of the Civil War. Reminded me of Gone With The Wind. One can put yourself in the midst of the battles with the fantastic descriptions of the context. Of course the love story between Holly and Bart keeps you in suspense til the very end.
One of the best books I have read in a long while. Couldn’t put it down. I liked the descriptions of the south and southern culture that Strickland writes about, as well as the history of the Civil War. Reminded me of Gone With The Wind. One can put yourself in the midst of the battles with the fantastic descriptions of the context. Of course the love story between Holly and Bart keeps you in suspense til the very end.
June 16, 2022
An amazingly beautiful Civil War Era story.
After visiting Gettysburg I crave reading Civil War era history. How the people managed to survive an emotionally difficult time period is truly an expiring look of our nations past “cause and effects” times. This story was well written and other than a few raunchy sexual episodes (story could have done without) a pleasurable reading experience.
After visiting Gettysburg I crave reading Civil War era history. How the people managed to survive an emotionally difficult time period is truly an expiring look of our nations past “cause and effects” times. This story was well written and other than a few raunchy sexual episodes (story could have done without) a pleasurable reading experience.
August 4, 2021
Better than Gone With the Wind
If you like civil war historical fiction, this is a book for you! Characters well developed and a spell binding story of the civil war and the time before, during and after. The çharacters move through the history and bring the story alive. The story in Australia and England added a new touch.
If you like civil war historical fiction, this is a book for you! Characters well developed and a spell binding story of the civil war and the time before, during and after. The çharacters move through the history and bring the story alive. The story in Australia and England added a new touch.
June 6, 2022
A book about the Civil War and several southern families experiences during the war. At times I felt as if the author was using Gone with the Wind as his outline. Also, editing was extremely poor and some things didn’t ring true for the times. However, the book kept my interest right up to the end.
August 12, 2021
Captivating storyline
Didn't want to put this book down! When I did, I found myself thinking about the characters, their lives, and the issues they faced during a time of war. A few surprises along the way kept me highly intrigued! Excellent book!
Didn't want to put this book down! When I did, I found myself thinking about the characters, their lives, and the issues they faced during a time of war. A few surprises along the way kept me highly intrigued! Excellent book!
October 9, 2022
What a wonderful historical read.
I felt as though I was living in the state of Georgia just before the Civil War. I would recommend this book to anyone to enjoys a story about the South and plantation life.
I felt as though I was living in the state of Georgia just before the Civil War. I would recommend this book to anyone to enjoys a story about the South and plantation life.
February 24, 2021
Wonderful!
Aside from a few grammatical errors, I found this book to compare with Gone With The Wind!!! I recommend it highly.
Aside from a few grammatical errors, I found this book to compare with Gone With The Wind!!! I recommend it highly.
April 10, 2021
The Long Road Home
Good story line, my problem with this book was the length. By adding so many peoples thoughts, it made the book so long I had to force myself to finish the book.
Good story line, my problem with this book was the length. By adding so many peoples thoughts, it made the book so long I had to force myself to finish the book.
April 19, 2021
I absolutely LOVED this book and had a hard time putting it down!! Will definitely read more in the series...
July 16, 2021
Highly recommend
This novel is a true work of art. It’s mesmerizing. I could barely put this book down. This story will captivate your mind and soul
This novel is a true work of art. It’s mesmerizing. I could barely put this book down. This story will captivate your mind and soul
November 7, 2021
Red cotton fields
I like books with bit of history tied in. Like this spin on Civil War, makes you kind understand a bit more
Really good book
I like books with bit of history tied in. Like this spin on Civil War, makes you kind understand a bit more
Really good book
January 17, 2022
Mesmerizing
Loved the story and the characters. Saddened to reach the last page even though I couldn't stop reading
Can't wait to start the next in this lookseries
Loved the story and the characters. Saddened to reach the last page even though I couldn't stop reading
Can't wait to start the next in this lookseries
January 22, 2022
Red Cotton Fields
I liked this book, not all the story lines, but that’s life, and history, there’s bad along with the good
I liked this book, not all the story lines, but that’s life, and history, there’s bad along with the good
April 8, 2022
great read
Wonderful story couldn’t put it down. We’ll developed characters. A book that paints a picture you can see as well as feel
Wonderful story couldn’t put it down. We’ll developed characters. A book that paints a picture you can see as well as feel
September 19, 2022
The Red Cotton Fields
What a wonderful story. Reminded me of Gone With the Wind. Characters that come alive and pull the reader into their lives. Absolutely love it.
What a wonderful story. Reminded me of Gone With the Wind. Characters that come alive and pull the reader into their lives. Absolutely love it.
November 14, 2022
Civil War Again
I love anything and everything Civil War, the Red Cotton Fields did not disappoint. Relive, yet again, the old south.
I love anything and everything Civil War, the Red Cotton Fields did not disappoint. Relive, yet again, the old south.
July 28, 2023
Great book
This is one of the best Civil War/Plantation stories I have ever read! It is full of drama and suspense. Good times and bad times. Great characters!
This is one of the best Civil War/Plantation stories I have ever read! It is full of drama and suspense. Good times and bad times. Great characters!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews