Talmadge Farm

by Leo Daughtry

It's 1957, and tobacco is king. Wealthy landowner Gordon Talmadge enjoys the lavish lifestyle he inherited but doesn't like getting his hands dirty; he leaves that to the two sharecroppers - one white, one Black - who farm his tobacco but have bigger dreams for their own children. While Gordon takes no interest in the lives of his tenant farmers, a brutal attack between his son and the sharecropper children sets off a chain of events that leaves no one unscathed. Over the span of a decade, Gordon struggles to hold on to his family's legacy as the old order makes way for a New South.

TALMADGE FARM is a sweeping drama that follows three unforgettable families navigating the changing culture of North Carolina at a pivotal moment in history. A love letter to the American South, the novel is a story of resilience, hope, and family - both lost and found.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Southern

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2024

About the author

Leo Daughtry is a life-long resident of North Carolina. He grew up among the tobacco fields of Sampson County which served as inspiration for his debut novel, “Talmadge Farm.” After graduating from Wake Forest University and its School of Law, he established a private law practice in Smithfield, N.C. He was a member of the N.C. House and Senate for 28 years, including serving as House Majority Leader and House Minority Leader. When not practicing law, Leo enjoys spending time in Atlantic Beach with his wife and daughters.

Reviews

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

1950’s -1960’s - North Carolina - things are changing, but also staying the same.

Three families - one rich tobacco farm owner and two sharecroppers.

Gordon Talmadge has no regard for his sharecroppers or anyone that is in a lower class than he is.

His son is exactly like him. When his son Junior gets in a confrontation with the sharecropper’s son, who do you think everyone will believe?

Talmadge Farm kept me turning the pages with Mr. Daughtry’s descriptive writing and wonderful characters.

You will become part of the character’s lives - their sorrows and their joys.

It does have more sorrows for most of the characters than joys, but historical fictions fans will enjoy Talmadge Farm as you live through what was happening and changing in the South during this time and with wealthy landowners and those who worked for them.

In the end, though, you will be left with a warm feeling because of the closeness the families share and their hopefulness. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talmadge Farm, Leo Daughtry’s debut novel, was a well written and captivating Southern historical fiction saga. It took place on Talmadge Farm that was located right outside the town of Hobbsfield, North Carolina over the course of the years between the late 1950’s through the early 1970’s. Talmadge Farm had been owned and maintained by several generations of the Talmadge family. Tobacco was the main source of revenue for the farm owners. Two sharecroppers and their families also resided on the farm. The sharecroppers all helped with the planting, harvesting and picking of the tobacco crop. One of the sharecroppers was white and one was black. Talmadge Farm focused on the evolution of sharecroppers and the shift in the tobacco industry once health issues were brought to the attention of the public. One of the many themes that were addressed in Talmadge Farm was the clear distinction between classes. In addition to the clear lines that were drawn between those who were born into privileged families and those that were not, Talmadge Farm also focused on the importance of family, faith, pride, grief and loss. There were also some not so easy topics that were addressed like rape, racism, treatment of others, acceptance for one’s own actions and being able to adjust to changes. I listened to the audiobook that was well narrated by Justine Price. I believe that Leo Daughtry was able to capture the essence of the time including the social climate that existed in the south during the late 1950’s through the 1960’s along with its many challenges, struggles and changes that resulted. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Talmadge Farm and highly recommend it. I look forward to seeing what Leo Daughtry writes next.

Thank you to Books Fluent for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Talmadge Farm by Leo Daughtry through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up
Great debut novel.
The characters are well written and well developed. Excellent use of multiple POVs. The story flows nicely.

[Foxy Vixen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think all of us need to be reminded what it was like to live in the prejudice South in the 1960’s. This definitely the book to do that.
A wonderful saga of 3 families. The Talmadges who were ‘high on the hog’ … until ignorance and drunkenness led to their demise. They had 2 sharecropper families who took care of the tobacco farm, 1 black family and 1 Negro family.
Read and see how these 3 families make their way through what life throws at them.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Star Gater · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Gary Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book about a difficult time in our country. Despite the constant adversities the characters faced, hope was beautifully weaved throughout.

[Christine H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweeping 5 star review. Wonderful historical fiction that depicts white southern supremacy that implodes leading up to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. I didn’t know if I would like this topic but the author’s writing pulled me right in. Highly recommended.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[skketch · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚💵👨‍🌾🚬NOVEL THOUGHTS🚬👨🏾‍🌾💵📚

Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap"

Meet the Talmadge family: Gordon and Claire, their children Junior and David. They live on property established by Gordon's grandfather Proctor who built a tobacco farm through sweat and hard work and probably on the backs of enslaved people. Now as the 3rd generation, Gordon and his family live a comfortable life with fast cars, in-house help from Ivy, the wife of one of his two sharecroppers, belong to the golf country club and host an annual dove hunt which all of Gordon's fellow high roller love to attend. His wife Claire is the typical pretty wife who knows her place as socially active in charitable affairs and never to challenge her husband's actions or words. The two families who have worked on his land for years, live in ram shackled cabins, barely warm in the winter and unbearably hot in the summer and do all the backbreaking work in the fields managing the tobacco crop for pittance after the annual auction ends the buying season.
Gordon is a bigot, sexist and hateful character. He is pompous as he struts himself in the family owned bank Farmers and Merchants Bank. He gawks lustfully at his secretary while smoking and drinking behind closed doors barely managing the day to day needs of the bank and he expects everyone in town to do his bidding because the Talmadge name rules!
Since he is basically hands off raising his sons, his first born Junior is a younger version of his father and thinks he should have whatever and whomever he wants and if one of those is the daughter of one of his sharecroppers, then so be it. But after Junior is found seriously injured after trying to attack Elle, her brother Jake takes the blame and disappears in the night and ends up starting a new life in Philadelphia where his skin color doesn't keep him from succeeding. Meanwhile, Will and his daughter Mary Grace who is the other sharecropper family are also struggling to make ends meet. Will is deep in debt, struggles with alcohol and after being denied for a loan by his boss, tries an illegal enterprise to make extra money. This backfires and it will eat at him for years until he takes retribution. This will change the trajectory of Mary Grace's life.
As time goes on, the children grow, as does Claire who is finding courage to speak her mind to her husband's stupid behavior. The only person who isn't growing is Gordon who is stuck in time thinking that "if it ain't broke, why fix it" or change policies and grow with what is going on in the world. This will eventually come to bite him in the butt!
This generational story has so many amazing lessons that make all the characters grow and evolve. The story features all of the characters both in the big house and in the cabins and as years go by, their relationships together and apart and how they are more of a family than Gordon wants to admit. Education is a huge aspect of this story as well.
Ivy who is deeply religious mutters Galatians 6:7 under her breath after one of Gordon's obnoxious moments and it predicts how his life is going to turn out. Meanwhile, not being under his thumb or influence anymore, Claire and his children thrive as do the children of his sharecroppers and their offspring.
This is a very thoughtful story with a powerful message of tolerance and love. The author does a great job making Gordon a very unlikeable character while at the same time, feeling sorry for the people around him having to endure his toxic talk and behavior. Gordon is at the center and all the rest of the characters have to move in his orbit and try to keep their own identities and self-worth.
I appreciated where the author was going with his story and for a debut, it was very good. I felt though there needed to be a bit more oomph to the meat of the story. No character except possibly Gordon really made the reader feel something and for him, and that was disgust.

[Janall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is story of three families in rural North Carolina in the 1950-60’s.
The Talmadges are the big landholders in their small town with 1800+ acres of corn, cattle and tobacco. Gordon is the big man, and rules everything from his land , to his bank from atop of his kingdom of privilege. Times are changing and he is resistant in every way. His wife Claire serves as a pretty background, but she does what she can to smooth the edges. Their sons Jr and David are as different as night and day. Junior every bit of his father- racist, drinking and doing what ever he pleases. David, thoughtful and studious is mostly forgotten by his father.
There are two share cropper families living on the farm- one black and one white.
The black family led by Ivy and her husband, have two children: studious Jake and joyful Elle. The white family: Will and his daughter Mary Grace.
There is an incident between two of the farms children that will send shock waves through the families changing them forever.

What I liked about the book- the time and place is well described and we can feel what it would be like to live there as a rich white person, a poor black person and a poor white person. The story moves along at a brisk place, never lingering too long on one storyline. Despite the drama and heavy tone, overall Its heartwarming about relationships, finding redemption and family. The author makes us feel for these people. The story kept me engaged.

What I wish was different - I wish the characters had a bitmore nuance- in this story villains are villains and the heros are saints. I like a bit more grey area in my characters stories. The years fly by and I mean fly. We get hints of something going on, eg Mary Grace’s wedding, but then they are suddenly back from the honeymoon. I have so many questions that that are unanswered. We get a lot of Gordon’s and Will’s perspective, but little of women’s. Would like to have seen more from them.
I listened to the audio version of the story, and really liked the narrators voice.
Overall, a very enjoyable read. Reccomend

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talmadge Farm AUDIO by Leo Daughtry was a trip back to the South when things were changing. Change is hard and the listener went through changes with a number of people, not the least of which was Gordon Talmadge, at the beginning around 40-45 years of age. Gordon came from several generations of tobacco growers and bankers and assumed life would go on the same as it had. He was wrong. He didn’t listen to those around him and when he did choose to listen, he listened to the wrong people. He drank too much and cheated on his wife. He had two sons, Junior and David, who were as different as different could be. This is the story of about ten years of his life when the change was upon him. His wife hung in, as good Southern wives do, and his sons went their own ways. I was a charming story which made the listener sit up and take notice. I was alive then, but for younger people, they are probably judging instead of listening with a sympathetic ear.

The characters in this book could be people who lived; many like them certainly did. It was a time of innovation, which Daughtry made clear, but also a time changing values. For those people caught between the old and the new, it could be hard. Daughtry did an amazing job of putting that conundrum on paper/audio, when he wrote this book. It is heart-breaking in many ways, and not just the obvious, but for those who are not able to change, and really shouldn’t have had to in many ways. A man brought to his knees, through his own fault, because of culture change is a sad thing. Daughtry showed it with grace and kindness. It was a terrific listen.

Justin Price narrated and did a credible job remaining neutral as bad things happened and life went downhill for Gordon. He was strong, and courageous in his portrait of this damaged, yet good man.

I was invited to listen to Talmadge Farm by Books Fluent. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BooksFluent #LeoDaughtry #Justin Price #TalmadgeFarm

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Tommie G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leo Daughtry's Talmadge Farm is a rich, compelling, and morally complex tapestry of the American South at a moment of profound transition. Set against the fading reign of "King Tobacco" in 1957 North Carolina, the novel masterfully explores the intricate, often brutal, hierarchies of land, legacy, and race through the intertwined fates of three families. The novel's great strength lies in its unwavering humanity and its rejection of simple archetypes. Gordon Talmadge, the wealthy landowner clinging to a decaying inheritance, is a portrait of negligence rather than mustache-twirling villainy. His indifference to the sharecroppers, one white, one Black, who work his land is more damning than active malice, setting the stage for a tragedy born of systemic imbalance and personal failure. The children of these families are brilliantly drawn, their dreams and collisions pulsing with the authentic hope and recklessness of youth. Daughtry possesses a keen, empathetic eye for the social and emotional architecture of the 1950s and 60s South. The "chain of events" set off by a single, brutal attack unfolds over a decade with the grim inevitability and surprising grace of real history. This is not a novel about easy redemption or clear-cut heroes, but about resilience, the painful birth of a "New South," and the fragile, fierce bonds of family both by blood and by circumstance. More than a historical drama, Talmadge Farm is a vital conversation with America's past, holding a mirror to the roots of enduring social and economic divisions. Yet, it is also, as the description rightly calls it, a "love letter," one clear-eyed enough to see the region's flaws but compassionate enough to honor its people's struggles and capacity for change. A sweeping, unforgettable, and deeply necessary story.

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ruth Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, Talmadge Farm, was written by an author who certainly knows North Carolina culture and tobacco farming. He did a nice job showing changes over time in the tobacco industry, and tried to integrate those changes in with the broad social and land use changes happening in the state. I was given the audiobook version of the novel, and the linear storyline was easy to follow and definitely riveting for the first three fourths. Since I live in North Carolina, the setting and history were familiar and interesting to me. The book touched on several themes---race, class, poverty, alcoholism, dangers of tobacco, sexual violence, women's roles, and societal change.
Although there were many solidly good parts of the book, I felt that the plot in the last quarter dramatically slowed down. The main character, Gordon, showed little change in his character, and in fact, seemed to be a stereotype of a wealthy privileged landowner stuck in time drinking and smoking his life away with few redeeming qualities. Throughout the book, women were also somewhat stereotyped, with the main character's wife enabling her son and husband in their behaviors. That being said, there was a rich cast of characters, and multiple families, and all contributed to the plot.
I will say that the narrator needed to learn how to read with different dialects. In this novel, poor white people, wealthy white landowners, and African Americans shared the limelight. Normally, each would have their own voice, which would aid in understanding the narration. Although the narration was well paced, using an appropriate dialect for each group was needed.

[Dot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we go again! Another great story, y'all. Also, another debut novel written by a Georgia author. (It has just occurred to me that, totally by chance, this is the fourth debut novel I've read in a row. Pretty cool!)

Set in 1957, this generational drama tells about the lives of three interconnected families on a tobacco farm led by the wealthy owner Gordon Talmadge and his two sharecroppers (one black man, Louis Sanders and one white man, Will Craddock). The beautifully layered narrative takes the reader on a journey through the next ten years of social change in the American South using themes of race, class, greed, and change.

Shout-out to my husband who passed this book on to me. He thought I might like it, and he was absolutely correct! I looked forward to reading a few chapters of it every evening! I rated it 4/5 stars because there were times that something might happen in a chapter, and then it was left to the reader to fill in the blanks of how the scenario turned out. For example, one chapter might be dated June 1959, and then the next chapter picks up in July 1960. All in all, the story moves along nicely and everyone's situation is resolved one way or another by the end of the book. Leo Daughtry has written a gem of a novel! Give it a try!

I recommend this book!
✔️”Talmadge Farm” by Leo Daughtry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

*NOTE: This would be a great companion novel to another one I've read and recommended before entitled "The Tobacco Wives" by Adele Myers*

[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“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.

[Sarian Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talmadge Farm is a deeply affecting, beautifully told novel that lingers long after the final page. Leo Daughtry brings 1950s rural North Carolina to life with vivid detail, emotional honesty, and a clear understanding of the social tensions that defined the era.

At the heart of the story are three families bound together by land, labor, and unspoken divides. The contrast between Gordon Talmadge’s inherited privilege and the quiet perseverance of the two sharecropping families one white, one Black is rendered with nuance and restraint. When a violent incident involving their children shatters the fragile balance between them, the consequences unfold slowly and painfully over the course of a decade, shaping lives in irreversible ways.

Daughtry excels at making the personal feel historical and the historical feel personal. The sights, sounds, and rhythms of tobacco farming ground the story, while themes of legacy, race, ambition, and change give it lasting emotional weight. This is not just a novel about the Old South fading away, but about ordinary people striving to protect their families and futures in a world that is shifting beneath their feet.

Talmadge Farm is powerful, humane, and thoughtfully written a compelling portrait of resilience, loss, and hope. A standout work of Southern historical fiction that fully deserves five stars.

[Cindy Brookshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I moved back to North Carolina 10 years ago, to small train town with one stoplight, surrounded by farms, I didn't even know what was growing in the fields. Soybeans? Sweet potatoes? I visited the Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly and read tobacco historian Billy Yeargin's "North Carolina Tobacco" to begin to understand. Slowly, over the decade, I have absorbed the culture, but until this book, they were scattered puzzle pieces. This author, with his novel of daily life for three families and how they related, pulls everything together for me. I love how one of his characters quotes, in the final pages, Daniel Webster (1840): "When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization." It called to mind a local arts council meeting I went to. The board members sitting around the table in their fine summer dresses and seersucker suits were sharing stories of their youth. Of gummy hands from tying tobacco. Of pausing in the fields for a break, to drink a cold bottle of Coca-Cola and eat a pack of Nabs (the cost taken out of their pay). Of walking home from school and knowing without being told, that it was hog slaughtering time, and they needed to go to a neighbor's to help. Fascinating book!

[Deb Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Tracie Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talmadge Farm (audiobook) by Leo Daughtry

In. 1957, Gordon Talmadge leads a self absorbed lavish lifestyle in Eastern North Carolina. He owns a large tobacco farm with two sharecropper families, one black and one white.
A New South is on the horizon and Gordon struggles to hold on to all that he claims as his. This is an unforgettable drama of three families navigating changing times during a pivotable period in history. Their lives are intertwined closely. Desegregation is happening and tensions are high, along with the growing reassessment of the tobacco farms. There is controversy over smoking and the daunting management of farms implementing new farming processes.
This book has beautifully detailed settings, and the characters are wonderfully developed. You can just imagine that you are walking among the rows of tobacco and feel the summer heat. You can feel the pain, anger, and joy of the characters. The story is so beautiful and rich. The narrator, Justin Price, has rich voice perfect with a Southern dialect. The storytelling is mesmerizing. I really enjoyed this one!
I would like to Thank NetGalley and Books Fluent for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. 5/5⭐️

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the tobacco fields of North Carolina, this book begins in 1957 and tells the story of three farmers, the wealthy plantation owner Gordon Talmadge and his two sharecroppers (one black, one white) through the next ten years of social change in the United States.
Gordon Talmadge and his son believe they are entitled to their inherited wealth, without having to put forth a lot of effort toward maintaining it. His tenants bear the brunt of the work load. And, the Talmadges believe that old racial mores and standards won’t change. After Gordon Jr. attacks the daughter of one of the sharecroppers, things do change for all of the families. As the New South begins to emerge, Gordon and his family refuse to accept the changes. But life goes on, and changes happen.

Daughtry paints a poignant picture of how all three of the families endure misery and hope while coping with the advance of civil rights, and of civility.

Veteran narrator Justin Price seamlessly brings each character to life with their unique personalities.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction, especially those interested in changes in race relations in the United States.

Note: I listened to an audio ARC provided by NetGalley

[DustyBookSniffers - Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars
This sweeping drama vividly captures the lives of three interconnected families, each navigating the cultural shifts and social upheavals of a pivotal moment in history. Daughtry weaves together themes of race, class, ambition, and change, creating a richly layered narrative that resonates deeply. Set in 1957 and centred around crop sharing on a tobacco farm, the story unfolds over the following decade.

Justin Price's audiobook narration is exceptional, infusing the story with life and emotion. His skilful performance kept me engaged from beginning to end, evoking a range of feelings as the characters' journeys unfolded. The emotional depth and authenticity he brings to each character not only enhanced my connection to the story but also made me feel deeply connected to the characters, making for an unforgettable listening experience.

The Talmadge Farm is a powerful exploration of a community grappling with transformation and resilience. I highly recommend it to those who appreciate historical dramas that delve into complex human dynamics against the backdrop of a changing society.

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Fluent for providing me with the audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talmadge Farm by Leo Daughtry is a debut sweeping drama that captures the soul of the mid-20th-century South through the lens of the North Carolina tobacco industry. The story explores the fragile hierarchy of a world where wealthy landowner Gordon Talmadge enjoys a life of inherited luxury, built on the labor of two sharecropping families: one Black, one white. While Gordon lives in unearned ease, both sharecropping families harbor grand ambitions for their children’s futures, hoping to transcend the circumstances of their birth. However, the peace is shattered when a violent act of cruelty by Gordon’s son, Junior, ignites a tragic chain of events. As the world they knew "sets ablaze," all three families are forced to navigate the shifting tides of justice, race, and social upheaval. Daughtry offers a poignant look at a diverse and complex history, ultimately questioning if a new generation can ever truly break free from its roots. An engrossing 3 family saga. Looking forward to the author's next novel. 3.75/5

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Grace (alatteofliterature) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking place from the 1950’s -1970’s - mostly in North Carolina - we follow three families connected to Talmadge Farm — The Talmadge’s and that of two of his sharecroppers.

This is an extremely well written debut novel and piece of literary/ historical fiction— there are likeable and unlikable characters but en the end you can even feel sympathy for the characters you thought were unredeemable . The writing kept me turning the pages as we begin to feel we are on Talmadge farm and part of the characters lives as we see the fortunes of all three families change over time.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrators voicing of the characters as well as the his voice with southern accent was perfect and is a great storyteller. The narrator did a great job of really pulling you into the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Books Fluent for this LRC . This is my honest review.