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Bound Bayou
A young teacher from England achieves a dream when he gets the chance to work for a year in the United States, but 1950s Mississippi is not the America he has seen on the movie screens at home.
His adventure turns into a living nightmare when his independent spirit collides with the rules of life in the Deep South. Crossing the racial divide, Arthur Belsay sets off a chain of events he can’t control.
He flees to New York and makes a life for himself in what seems like a different country, but the past catches up with him.
Ultimately Arthur faces a character-defining challenge: can he find the courage to save a woman who can’t return his love, though he risks almost certain death in the attempt?
His adventure turns into a living nightmare when his independent spirit collides with the rules of life in the Deep South. Crossing the racial divide, Arthur Belsay sets off a chain of events he can’t control.
He flees to New York and makes a life for himself in what seems like a different country, but the past catches up with him.
Ultimately Arthur faces a character-defining challenge: can he find the courage to save a woman who can’t return his love, though he risks almost certain death in the attempt?
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2014
215 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
David Canford
20 books43 followersWriting historical fiction, David Canford is able to combine his love of history and travel in novels that take readers on a rollercoaster journey through time and place with characters who face struggle and hardship but where resilience, love and forgiveness can overcome hatred and oppression.
He has also written two novels about the future, and a travelogue.
David has three grown up daughters and lives on the south coast of England with his wife and their dog.
For news about new releases and more visit www.davidcanford.com or visit him on Facebook or Instagram.
He has also written two novels about the future, and a travelogue.
David has three grown up daughters and lives on the south coast of England with his wife and their dog.
For news about new releases and more visit www.davidcanford.com or visit him on Facebook or Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 6, 2023
Mississippi Booze
I grabbed up my suitcase and took off down the road. Bye Son House
He was 23 years old, born in England. He wanted a job in America and found one teaching school in Mississippi. It was in the early 1950s. Why Mississippi? My husband and I lived in Mississippi in the 90s. We could not wait to leave. The best to come out of Mississippi is the Delta Blues. His parents were really upset, so he told them that he would stay in England and get a job. But when the time came, he packed up his suitcase and went on down the road.
I feel like crying, but you know The tears won't come down You know I got a funny feeling I'm gonna have to leave this town by Muddy Waters
When he first saw Ella he fell in love. And when a cop was harassing her he stepped in to protect her. Now he was on the run with the black woman in Mississippi, he learned real fast but a little too Late. I'm leaving Mississippi as fast as I can gonna take my woman with me
across that Dixie line.
I grabbed up my suitcase and took off down the road. Bye Son House
He was 23 years old, born in England. He wanted a job in America and found one teaching school in Mississippi. It was in the early 1950s. Why Mississippi? My husband and I lived in Mississippi in the 90s. We could not wait to leave. The best to come out of Mississippi is the Delta Blues. His parents were really upset, so he told them that he would stay in England and get a job. But when the time came, he packed up his suitcase and went on down the road.
I feel like crying, but you know The tears won't come down You know I got a funny feeling I'm gonna have to leave this town by Muddy Waters
When he first saw Ella he fell in love. And when a cop was harassing her he stepped in to protect her. Now he was on the run with the black woman in Mississippi, he learned real fast but a little too Late. I'm leaving Mississippi as fast as I can gonna take my woman with me
across that Dixie line.
October 29, 2018
Gripping
This review is from: Bound Bayou (Kindle Edition)
I chose to read this book because it is set in Mississippi and it was free with Kindle Unlimited. Because I am a native of the state and grew up in the 50's and 60's, I was afraid of an overly negative portrait of Mississippi. For the most part, the author avoided that pitfall. There were SOME places as bad as the unnamed town in the novel. At any rate, the opening scene grabbed me and I had to know the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say. There are some minor word usage problems such as sight for site, but as I got deeper into the book, these little problems either disappeared or the story was so interesting that I no longer noticed. There are also a few anachronisms such as a large cocaine smuggling operation run by the Mafia in Mississippi in the 50's. To the best of my knowledge, the Marcello family was not involved in large scale drug trafficking in the 50's. If they were, it would more likely have been heroin rather than cocaine. Never mind these minor quibbles, this book is well worth reading. If you want to know more about the fight to destroy the power of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi, I strongly recommend ATTACK ON TERROR, THE FBI AGAINST THE KU KLUX KLAN IN MISSISSIPPI by Don Whitehead, available from Amazon. Whitehead was given access to FBI files and personnel to write the book.
This review is from: Bound Bayou (Kindle Edition)
I chose to read this book because it is set in Mississippi and it was free with Kindle Unlimited. Because I am a native of the state and grew up in the 50's and 60's, I was afraid of an overly negative portrait of Mississippi. For the most part, the author avoided that pitfall. There were SOME places as bad as the unnamed town in the novel. At any rate, the opening scene grabbed me and I had to know the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say. There are some minor word usage problems such as sight for site, but as I got deeper into the book, these little problems either disappeared or the story was so interesting that I no longer noticed. There are also a few anachronisms such as a large cocaine smuggling operation run by the Mafia in Mississippi in the 50's. To the best of my knowledge, the Marcello family was not involved in large scale drug trafficking in the 50's. If they were, it would more likely have been heroin rather than cocaine. Never mind these minor quibbles, this book is well worth reading. If you want to know more about the fight to destroy the power of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi, I strongly recommend ATTACK ON TERROR, THE FBI AGAINST THE KU KLUX KLAN IN MISSISSIPPI by Don Whitehead, available from Amazon. Whitehead was given access to FBI files and personnel to write the book.
December 9, 2018
Arthur
This book is important, in telling a horrible story which isn't true, but very well could be. Fantastic story line told honestly. As I read this book I felt there pain and fear. So sad things like this happened, and still do.
This book is important, in telling a horrible story which isn't true, but very well could be. Fantastic story line told honestly. As I read this book I felt there pain and fear. So sad things like this happened, and still do.
March 18, 2020
So.different
This novel is of pre civil rights in the south. When a young man travels from England to teach literature in Mississippi, staying in a home with a black servant things become very "sticky". Arthur doesn't under bigotry and defends a young women's honor, unfortunately it is a black woman and the man doing the humiliating is a police officer. It only gets worse for Arthur from there. One gets a real.feeling of the South segregation and the KKK by reading this book.
This novel is of pre civil rights in the south. When a young man travels from England to teach literature in Mississippi, staying in a home with a black servant things become very "sticky". Arthur doesn't under bigotry and defends a young women's honor, unfortunately it is a black woman and the man doing the humiliating is a police officer. It only gets worse for Arthur from there. One gets a real.feeling of the South segregation and the KKK by reading this book.
May 29, 2019
Really enjoyed it
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Loved the information added into the story and how it all wrapped up at the end.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Loved the information added into the story and how it all wrapped up at the end.
December 9, 2018
A good read and story.
April 19, 2020
A fun and interesting read
If you want a rollicking adventure in the picaresque style this is the book for you. Arthur is a roguish, though basically good young man, fresh out of university, and eager to explore the world. Adventure is what he wants, and excitement and danger is what he gets, with a bit of romance thrown in. Set in the 1950’s this book, on a deeper level, explores racism and mixed race relationships. Arthur’s naivety gets him into trouble, but also into good outcomes. The style is light and humorous and the plot is fast paced. This book is definitely not boring. It will definitely pass the time on a quiet weekend.
If you want a rollicking adventure in the picaresque style this is the book for you. Arthur is a roguish, though basically good young man, fresh out of university, and eager to explore the world. Adventure is what he wants, and excitement and danger is what he gets, with a bit of romance thrown in. Set in the 1950’s this book, on a deeper level, explores racism and mixed race relationships. Arthur’s naivety gets him into trouble, but also into good outcomes. The style is light and humorous and the plot is fast paced. This book is definitely not boring. It will definitely pass the time on a quiet weekend.
June 7, 2018
Page turner
A page turner of a story which has some interesting characters who keep you wanting to know more. Great opening to the story which immediately grabs your intention, followed by countless chapters doing the same. An excellent twist of events throughout, which also reflects some of the struggles of the past.
A page turner of a story which has some interesting characters who keep you wanting to know more. Great opening to the story which immediately grabs your intention, followed by countless chapters doing the same. An excellent twist of events throughout, which also reflects some of the struggles of the past.
December 19, 2019
Totally not what I was expecting, and I'm so glad that I read this. It's a very interesting take on 1950s south.
Read
July 9, 2021This was another Excellent book. It was different OMG It was just Good. It's a Must read book. :)
May 15, 2020
So earnest. So painful.
Eventually, so ridiculous.
The first half reads like a PSA that some well-meaning bright light thought, "Hey, why don't we (thinly) novelize this so the kids will think it's cool?" It's a subtle as the proverbial brick wall across the highway.
The second half just gets silly.
Eventually, so ridiculous.
The first half reads like a PSA that some well-meaning bright light thought, "Hey, why don't we (thinly) novelize this so the kids will think it's cool?" It's a subtle as the proverbial brick wall across the highway.
The second half just gets silly.
January 14, 2021
A time of change, hard change where color of skin brings a whole lot of it. It's a history that still has many milestones behind it and more ahead.
A young man wants to find something better than his family has planned for him. He crossed an ocean and discovers life beyond his own boundaries don't look much better. But life has a way of finding itself.
A young man wants to find something better than his family has planned for him. He crossed an ocean and discovers life beyond his own boundaries don't look much better. But life has a way of finding itself.
August 20, 2023
Interesting story of a young British man travelling to Mississippi in the 1950s to teach and who becomes involved accidentally with the Klan and the Mafia as he defends a black woman. Not a long read but pretty exciting at times and it gives a feeling of life in the south at that time.
January 7, 2019
Great Plot
I like. how the character entwined playoffs each other attributes develops a strong bonds Friendship don't die or melt away
I like. how the character entwined playoffs each other attributes develops a strong bonds Friendship don't die or melt away
January 15, 2021
Good read- kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Short enough to keep me interested and not drag on with details.
October 15, 2019
I did read this book,it was so good you will love the characters in this adventure mystery story! You will feel like you are right there with this man from England what a shock he gets visiting the South.Has no idea the South is so backwards on living,a slower pace of living,resentful of the Blacks and the South seems to me to hold a grudge longer than others in the United States. This man has a hard time understanding the South and their ways and I should know,I'm from the South!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews