A Deeper South: The Beauty, Mystery, and Sorrow of the Southern Road

by Pete Candler

A series of road trips through the American South leads to a personal confrontation with history.

Genres: Travel

400 pages, Paperback

Published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's another in the umpteen dozen books that fall into what must be one of the biggest genres of nonfiction literature these days: a travelogue of the South designed to investigate and explain what makes the American South the most mysterious, confusing, interesting, misunderstood, demonized, and romanticized region of the United States, usually focused on race. This one is written by a member of one of the most privileged families in Atlanta, the Candlers, the wealthy, philantropic, and politically prominent family connected to Coca-Cola, among other enterprises. As books of this genre go, it's a good one. Candler is a good writer. I enjoyed the journey, - although "enjoyed" doesn't seem the right word - and I learned things and made note of places that I would like to visit myself, so I recommend it to readers of southern history and travelogues. His description of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery took me there, masterfully. Two things stand out beyond that. First, Candler is a few years younger than me, and he attended Atlanta private schools that charge about $50,000 or more a year tuition today, but I was shocked to learn that my public school education in small-town south Georgia was better than his. He constantly refers to things he learned nothing about in school, but they were all part of my education. Secondly, this was the worst edited book that I've read in years, perhaps ever. Apparently, the University of South Carolina Press doesn't employ proofreaders. I ran into grammar errors, spelling errors, wrong words, and repeated words every few pages. I was so frustrated by the errors that it became difficult reading. (And while I'm complaining, the covers of the paperback both are permanently curled from normal reading.)

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this felt like such an important book to read and i loved the picture-esque descriptions of whichever place candler decided to tell the reader about. the photography in the book was magnificent and the historic pieces all felt spot on and not out of place which sometimes can happen when trying to tell a travel journey.

[Izzy Jarosz · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I initially struggled to read this due to my own limited vocabulary, I quickly found myself immersed as if I was making several roadtrips through the south. Candler writes in a very visual way that really captures the places he visits- most notably the Okefenokee Swamp and the memorial sight for the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. One of my favorite things about history is the interconnected mess of it all and he does a great job at connecting his family’s impact on very significant events while also exposing so many impactful milestones that have directly contributed to what the south is today. Yet, these crucial historical moments are caught in the convenient amnesia that most southerners have about their own heritage.

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[A Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sort of travelogue with a lot of history, specifically racial history, incorporated and a lot of personal history as well. This means that the work can get quite rambly and veer off on unnecessary tangents, like any good Southern storyteller. Despite the rambling, it was generally focused or always made it back to the main topic in a roundabout way. There was a good author's note included about why the author decided to write this, his inspirations, and some of his personal history. He and his brother took a road trip through the southeast in 1997 and decided to do it again in 2018, stopping at the same places. These included stops in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

This work included a lot of interconnected about the south's history, specifically relating to racial tensions, the unwillingness of certain folks to let go of the Lost Cause mentality, and the issues relating to whitewashing history, as well as how all of these themes played out in politics. There were good overviews on these topics relating to the places the author visited, which grounded the history and united it and the travelogue aspect of this work.

I enjoyed this work overall as I learned some unexpected things about places very near where I grew up and have spent time. The work certainly succeeded in that aspect. I do think it would be more approachable if it underwent some heavy editing, not only to remove the errors, but to create a more concise and focused read. Overall, if you enjoy nonfiction, history (both of the U.S. and personal), then you may enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and University of South Carolina press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.
I received an arc in exchange for a fair review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 received an ARC from NetGalley.

[Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was eerie reading this. Candler holds a historical mirror up the southern legacy of very selective memory. First in his hometown Buckhead and Atlanta. Then the south as a whole. Then back to his family who were Georgia politicians in the hey day of the clan 1880 when federal troops were removed until 1944. It is odd to me that this is the McKinley 1900 era that Trump wants to return to. I pray for our country that it can keep holding that mirror of truth up.

[Rhonda Fonicello · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book about what we're taught and what we're not taught about southern history post Civil War. I would have rated this book much higher if it weren't for the amazing number of misspellings and obvious incorrect words. The editor and proofreader did a horrible job! It must have been edited using spellcheck and not actual eyes on the words. Such a shame!

[Darren Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down. Will reread it periodically. Pete’s lightly accented voice comes through in his writing, especially this. Such a great work. Highly recommend his A Deeper South podcast as well.

[JANELLE · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who grew up or currently lives in the South. It’s very eye-opening and reveals stories never told in history classes.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.