Fairfield County

by DeLana R.A. Dameron

A sweeping family saga about inheritance and the enduring legacy of Southern Black cowboy culture, from the acclaimed author of Redwood Court, a Reese’s Book Club Pick

A sprawling landscape of sand, red clay, and pine trees, South Carolina’s Fairfield County is the only place the Bolton family has ever called home. For more than a century, they have cultivated this land, expertly raising horses to compete in derbies and rodeos and passing their knowledge from generation to generation. 

But after a devastating tragedy, Dwayne, the next inheritor of the Bolton legacy, buries his family history—particularly from his daughter. Unlike her father, Nikki is a proud, burgeoning horsewoman with no knowledge of her family’s connection to the part of her life she’s most passionate about. But when a series of events threatens to sever father and daughter from the only land they’ve ever known, Dwayne is forced to confront his past so that Nikki can step into her future. 

With nuance and care, DéLana R. A. Dameron deftly examines her most beloved the intricacies of family and the powerful forces that shape who we are. Fairfield County is at once a moving exploration of the ties that bind us and a bold reclamation of the American Cowboy—taking this iconic image out of the whitewashed Old West and deep into the heart of the Black South, where it has always resided.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Family

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2026

About the author

DéLana R. A. Dameron is an artist whose primary medium is storytelling. She is a graduate of New York University’s MFA program in poetry and holds a bachelor of arts
degree in history from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Her debut poetry collection, How God Ends Us, was selected by Elizabeth Alexander for the South Carolina Poetry Book Prize, and her second collection, Weary Kingdom, was chosen by Nikky Finney for the Palmetto Poetry Series. Dameron is also the founder of Saloma Acres, an equestrian and cultural space in her hometown of South
Carolina, where she resides.

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Set in Fairfield County, South Carolina, hence the name, is a deeply-rooted family saga about legacy, land, horses, and the stories families carry. This tale centers on four generations of the Bolton family and the rich, unique history of Black cowboy culture in South Carolina.
It took me a good minute to get into the story and what worked best for me was to set aside other books + focus on just this one. Two things stick in my mind of what I loved most about the story - the first is Dwayne and Nikki’s father-daughter storyline. It gave the book so much heart, especially as Nikki begins to uncover the family history tied to the horses and the land she loves. And the other is that you can truly feel Ms. Dameron’s poet heart in the writing, especially in the way she creates such a layered, character-rich tale about generational struggle, trauma, and legacy. Even with its slower pace and sadness, the history and generational ties made this such an interesting and meaningful read. Pub. 6/9/26

It is heartbreaking to learn Ms. Damron sadly passed away before seeing this novels publication. 💔

*Much thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ten Cats Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early thoughts: The vibes are strong enough to smack me in the face. I can smell the horses, the dust, the hay and the mud. It's sweet and filthy and productive, the symbolic meaning as powerful as the scent drawn by the imagination.

Feeling: Hard life means opportunity🌾🐎🌄

I’m curious about: how much I will learn about houses😍

"After they learned [the horse] was pregnant, which wasn’t so long ago, they were told she wouldn’t be due for three months. They were nowhere near their safe date. ...They’d have to get the mare through the night and assess in the morning. “Vet says you may have to make a choice,” Lillie sighed. Moses shook his head. Won’t nothing fair about animal husbandry, his daddy always said, who got it from Grandaddy and so on. Nothing’s fair because you can’t change the course of nature." p31

Final thoughts:
I really should have loved this book. I love stories about Black USian families rising above this country's racist history. I love animals, including horses. I love swift moving literary fiction.

But this book has an identity crisis. It tries to tell so many stories in such a short space, when the page count wasn't sufficient to tell even one of them.

Books about generations of family need space to unfold. Ditto for trauma narratives and subversive elements like young Black women mastering sports that did not make space for them. I just don't think the choice to cram all this material into a short space really works here.

Besides being underdeveloped, the book had promise. I finished it because there was something I wanted from it.

I read this book immediately before reading THE FERVENT WHITES by Deshawn Charles Winslow, and for some reason they paired beautifully.

Even though I struggled with both, narratively, and for identical reasons, the themes these two books visit reflect each other with deep meaning and resonance. Honestly, this connection turned both these books into fours, and I love it.

What worked:
🐎 A lot of wonderful material about horses. I learned a lot about rearing them, riding them, even loving them.
🏛️ I liked the historical fiction aspect, especially when it talked about Black American experience, like school segregation.

What didn’t:
📖 contemporary fiction writers have a habit of writing books with extreme narrative distance. That means the narrator doesn't come in close enough to the story to describe details or speculate about the characters.

This style choice yields 250 page books with no description, too much dialog, a flimsy setting, a weak plot, and very little character development.

Books trying to span 100 years and 3 generations need more pages than this. In this book, an entire horse farm burns down in like 3 pages.

The author tries to pack all the trauma of this event into one brief scene with the only survivor -- a mule. The scene is definitely tragic, but I think it was being asked to carry too much narrative meaning.

Who this is for: fans of Claire Keegan, for the stylistic decision to tell an agonizing story from an agonizing distance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content Notes:
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death of a spouse, age-gap relationship, grief, miscarriage, house fire, wildfire, animal suffering, animal cruelty, animal death, death of family, grief, funerals, tooth loss and dental pain, systemic racism, racism in athletics

[Rachaelbookhunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

For over a century the Bolton family has called Fairfield County home, a land considered useless by white farmers. The family became known for raising horses. Dwayne has failed to live up to his grandfather's name and the animals that have been present for so many years are nowhere to be seen. His daughter Nikki is unaware of her family’s history and might be a natural with horses.

I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. I Like reading about cowboys and this was an opportunity to get a different perspective. The writing is atmospheric and things are described well. The book spans generations.

While I appreciated the story I had a hard time getting into it. The beginning of the book is told in a detached manner which made it harder to find a connection. The book is told at a slower pace which might not be for everyone. Fans of family sagas and history will enjoy this book.

[DaniPhantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multigenerational drama about a family of black cowboys reclaiming their sport and history. This makes me want to get back into books that span multiple generations, it was so personal to see the family dynamics.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding out the author of this book passed away before it could be published was absolutely heartbreaking. Much like some of the characters in Fairfield County, she’ll never be able to watch the fruits of her labor flourish, and I think that detail specifically makes this story so much more tragic, and even more important.

Set in Fairfield County, South Carolina, we follow four generations of the Bolton family, people with horses in their blood. Raising family and horses on the same parcel of land they’ve owned since emancipation, riding and training horses is what they know. From 1937 to 2014, we step foot in their shoes- and horseshoes.

At first, I found myself slightly bored by our introduction to the Bolton family. It’s not that Moses bored me as a character, but the fact that things moved so slowly. We actually don’t get closer to the main plot point until part 3, in 2014. Fairfield County focuses on legacies, and the lengths people have to take to keep their legacy for descendants to come. Preserving family history and ways of life in a time when developers come knocking at your door, offering a pretty penny for the land you own.

Thank you to Netgalley and The Dial Press for the e-arc! Fairfield County releases on June 09!

[Tulip_OnTheTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to a Friend Tell a Story That Spans 100 Years 📜

This book left me feeling extremely proud and silently introspective. I always knew there were Black Cowboys, and Cowgirls, in the American South, but I had never read any stories about them. My 67-year-old mother and I have been talking about finding some Westerns to read together, and this book was the perfect introduction to the genre.

Fairfield County resonated with me personally because I've had the opportunity to spend some time in South Carolina, and the narrator's dialect was so familiar. I know that vernacular, and it felt like I was listening to a friend tell a story about the Bolton family that spanned over 100 years; I was at home. And I definitely "heard" when the narrator had the audacity to say that North Carolina is not the "real" Carolina; ummm, I beg to differ! ✋🏾

I loved Dwayne's character for many reasons, but mostly because he reminded me so much of someone I know, and love, that was born during his generation; Dwayne's silence was both a blessing and a curse and I have experienced that firsthand with my loved one. But Nikki stole the show for me; she really touched my heart and there were many times that I saw bits of myself in her character. Her sheer will, determination, and thirst for knowledge made her journey a joy to watch.

There were some heavy issues discussed in this book including grief, acceptance, youth making life decisions, survival, and found family. It was just beautifully written and a delight to consume.

I enjoyed the development of the story, and the descriptions of the scenery. The land and the horses were anchors and I really appreciated how the author educated us on so many aspects of living in the country. I have so much more knowledge about working the land; when the characters were feeding the horses oats, I was feeding them too! When someone had to mount a horse, I mounted the horse too. The Black equestrian culture lives and breathes just like any other culture; it's all about community. 🌱

Although the pacing was a bit of a challenge in the middle and at the end, overall, the narrator kept us moving forward. We met several Boltons along the journey, as well as some friends, and they each contributed uniquely to the historical and present-day depiction of this family.

The Aftermath 🌷:
This was a four-star read for me and I've already purchased the author's first novel Redwood Court; I cannot wait to dive in! There were several times, while reading this book, that I had to take a moment and remember DéLana R. A. Dameron. I never had the pleasure of meeting her, but the spirit of her writing felt alive on every page. My heart was tied to this story, and I'm honored to tell you about my experience with it. 🕯️

This novel is for anyone who appreciates rich, multi-generational family sagas and wants to experience Black equestrian culture in a book. I highly recommend Fairfield County if you enjoy historical depth, authentic Southern vernacular, and stories centered on community, heritage, and the land.


Publication Date: June 9, 2026


Thank you to The Dial Press, Random House, DéLana R. A. Dameron, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the author’s debut novel, Redwood Court, so I excited to have the opportunity to read Fairfield County. The novel spans about 77 years, from 1937 - 2014, and focuses on the Bolton family, who own about 100 acres of land. The novel opens with Moses Bolton, a Black horseman who has trained horses most of his life. This love and gift for horses, as well as the story of the land, is the through line of the novel, along with family.

The story is engaging and thoughtful and explores the idea of family beyond bloodlines. Each generation of characters was well developed and added to the overall experience of the novel. The ending was quite touching. Readers of historical fiction as well as family sagas will connect with this novel. The author also has a note at the end explaining her connection to horses. I was saddened to read she passed away in late 2025. May her words always live on.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and The Dial Press for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

[Tonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Nancy]

I read 59%. I liked it but as it went on I was distracted by books that engaged me more.

[SVL · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes an important, little known topic and thrusts it into the spotlight. Too often we read and picture the cowboys of the Wild West, but how often do we include images of Black cowboys and the grooms and experts who laid the foundation of horse racing in the south? I enjoyed this multi-generational tale that follows one Black family and their love of horses over the course of three generations, but ultimately the story lacked a couple critical technical elements that would have strengthened the character arcs.

The Bolton family of Fairfield County knows horses. Their history starts with Moses, a famed horse groomer who nurtures young horses to success on the racetrack. Moses eventually falls in love and has his son Lloyd who plans to take over his horse farm and business. After tragedy strikes, Lloyd and his son Dwayne both grow away from horses over time. When Dwayne realizes his daughter Nikki has a gift with horses just like his grandfather, it sets him on a collision path to reconcile his past with his daughter’s future.

What this book does well: bring light to an often overlooked part of southern history and put it against a touching multigenerational storyline. Otherwise, I had small pieces of feedback or issues with the story that kept it from reaching its potential. First, Dwayne’s sections got really preachy the longer the book went on. There was also too much random context about the setting that distracted from the character growth. I think in general the author left out many signals and clues that could have table set the era of history better and clarified the time period of the plot. This is so important when you cover multiple generations because readers can get lost between characters without enough context clues.

I also think while the subject is important, the plot needed a firmer arc with more specific goals and objectives. The book contains lots of meandering around and through different characters’ minds with no obvious understanding to how it built the story.

I’m glad I read this book and think anyone who loves cowboy tails would enjoy this! This book publishes on 6/9/26. Thanks in advance to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Karleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to Fairfield County with an interest in the history of Black cowboys, as well as a heart for multi-generational stories.

The Boltons are a family of horsemen rooted in rural South Carolina, but that history has been buried across generations. When modern development threatens long-held family land and that of their neighbors, the youngest Bolton, Nikki, finds herself unable to escape the past she barely knows. It’s a compelling premise, and the generational themes Dameron weaves throughout, including war, grief, love, found family, and the Black experience, certainly resonate. Where Fairfield Country shines is how each generation experiences each of these themes uniquely but inherits similar responses. That thread held my attention throughout.

Where the novel struggled for me was in the execution. The pacing is slow, and not much actually happens plot-wise. I can work with minimal plot when a book leans hard into character development but, Fairfield County doesn’t quite hit here either. I enjoyed the individual characters and their relationships to each other, but I wanted more time inside their heads, with their perspectives and inner lives, not just their external reactions to the things that happened to them. The timeline and structure added to the difficulty; I often lost track of where I was chronologically, which sometimes made it hard for me to understand why characters behaved in certain ways or made some decisions. A few storylines also felt underdeveloped or unfinished. In general, the book needed to focus on great characters or a strong plot and Dameron doesn’t seem to have settled on either.

I’d recommend Fairfield County to readers who enjoy family sagas, particularly those with an interest in Black American history and generational storytelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Whatithinkaboutthisbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairfield County by DeLana RA Dameron
Pub Date: June 9/26

A multigenerational family saga about Black horseman and one horsewoman; their deep connection to both the land and horses that seemingly runs through their blood.

The novel is deeply rooted in place and explores the history of Black land ownership in South Carolina, from slavery and sharecropping to land ownership. Dameron examined the importance of preserving family land and passing it down through generations, while highlighting the tension between independence and the reality of forces beyond your control. It is a fascinating story that celebrates Southern Black cowboy culture, the bonds within a tightly knit community that lives by the principle of “We look after We” and the enduring relationship between people and horses.

The novel explores family relationships, shared values, found family as well as the choices people make when tragedy strikes and grief overwhelms them. The story is filled with good hearted characters, who do the right thing and take care of each other. At its core it is a story of pride, resilience and determination to hold onto family land that represents both freedom and family heritage. While offering a thoughtful examination of grief, how it shapes us and what helps us endure it: friendship, purpose, community and connection.

Dameron’s own passion for horses shines through in her vivid storytelling. The passion, joy, fulfillment and sense of identity the characters find in their connection to horses is one of the novels most beautiful elements. It raises the intriguing question of whether such a bond is inherited through bloodlines or cultivated through experience and love.

A beautiful and heartwarming story.

Sadly, Dameron passed away at just 40 years of age and this book is published posthumously. Her first novel Redwood Court is brilliant and I am saddened that there will be no more books from this talented author.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House| The Dial Press, as well as the author, for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

#NetGalley #RandomHouseTheDialPress #FairfieldCounty #Fiction #Drama #LiteraryFiction #WildWest #Books #BookReview

Title: Fairfield County

Author: DeLana R.A. Dameron

Format: eBook

Publisher: Random House| The Dial Press

Publication: June 9, 2026

Rating: 3 Stars

Themes: Historical fiction, family, wild west, cowboy, black history, horses, multiple POVs, multiple timelines

Trigger Warnings: Racism, grief, death of loved ones, violence, gun use, fire

This multi-generational family saga tells the story of the Bolton family. When Dwayne is orphaned after tragedy strikes, he inherits the family farm. He does his best to maintain it, but he doesn't have the horse sense that most of his family had. His daughter, Nikki, however, does. Nikki isn’t aware of her family’s history, and when Nikki and her father are driven apart, Dwayne must make some decisions for his daughter’s sake.

This book had some portions that were so good and so compelling. It also had parts that were confusing and boring. I felt that the multiple timelines and POVs were confusing. It wasn’t always clear when the time changed or the character’s voice changed. I also felt that the story moved along too slowly, making me feel bored. I really loved the parts with Nikki and the horses. Nikki was a much more relatable character, and I loved hearing about her way with horses. This story was vital in that it told a story of a black family in southern American history. There’s little content about Black cowboys in American history, and it’s nice to read something with this theme. However, the pacing and shifting POVs and timelines were difficult to enjoy.

[Shannon Mabrito · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairfield County follows the Bolton family through a multi-generation novel. It starts with Moses, the patriarch of the family, and how they began working with horses. It then follows Moses's son Lloyd, then to Lloyd's son Dwayne and his daughter Nikki. By the time Dwayne and Nikki's portion of the story comes in, the Bolton family legacy surrounding horses has dwindled to basically nothing, but Nikki is on the brink of bringing it back with her natural love for horses.

Unfortunately, I am only able to rate this one two stars. I tried so hard to get into this story, but I found it to be boring and lacking in plot. I enjoyed the background of the story, and enjoyed the portions with the horses immensely, especially when Nikki found her stride as a cowgirl. I just couldn't get into the other, more boring parts of the story enough to rate it any higher. I didn't find any of the characters experienced any real development of any kind - they all sort of stayed exactly the same as they had when their stories began within the novel.

The topic of this story is immensely important - however, I felt like the timelines didn't always match up, character POVs changed without real notice so it was difficult to keep up with. I wish it flowed a little easier to make it more enjoyable (for myself, obviously this won't be everyone's experience with the story).

I will say you will experience heartbreak and grief throughout this story, as many aspects are difficult to read through. However, other than that, it was difficult to remain focused on the novel.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and DeLana R.A. Dameron for the ARC.

[J. Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the advance readers copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

It upsets me to rate this so low, especially since it’s a family saga historical fiction and everyone and their grandma knows how much I love those. Unfortunately, the entire time I was reading I kept thinking “if this wasn’t an ARC, I’d probably DNF this one”.

My biggest issue is that there is a lot of telling without showing. Important things happen off page, relationships aren’t clearly defined, the timeline is very hard to keep clear, and ultimately it was just very hard to keep my attention on the story when the plot felt tertiary. The real story picks up in parts 3 and 4, which left what happened in part 1 and 2 feelings like snippets that needed more time.

From a positive perspective though, I can really see the bones of something good. The story, once it gets sorted, is about keeping family legacy, memory, and ultimately relationships alive while navigating a world that is not built for you and often times doesn’t want you. It’s about pursuing a passion you’re not “supposed” to have. And it’s bout the often forgotten Black cowboy experience in the American South.

This book will resonate for some, and for those of you who it does you’re incredibly lucky. Unfortunately, it just didn’t for me.

Original Comments from April 26
I really wanted to like this, but I couldn't. Full review to come shortly.

[Tamika · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧: I learned of this book through another book lover and also from seeing it recommended via Apple Books. I wasn’t familiar with this Author’s first book: ‘Redwood Court’ but now after listening to this one (just released early June), I’m thinking of picking it up!

I’m a historical fiction girlie and this one hits close to home as my family is from South Carolina, farm/country life. The difference here is that this book details of equestrian life - farming, harvesting, horse racing and maintenance, and how a family struggles through their genetic line to keep it safe, rezoning but also how it impacts the way that they life. The first few chapters talk about Moses and Lily, their lives and how they were raised, the original Bolton’s, but then it goes deeper into their descendants: Dwayne, meeting Gwendolyn and having Nikki, who later has ‘it’ to take on the family inheritance: being a rodeo girl. Through grief, heartache, tragedy and awakening, this family finds how they can survive by tapping into their traditions and legacy.

Note: because this was slow paced, especially in the beginning, I had to set aside chunks of time to really get into the story. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book!

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

The emotional depth of this book is incredible. We follow generation after generation of Boltons in Fairfield County, the real backbone of horse raising. It is in the Bolton blood. I loved how intimately you get to know each generation. You get to see their lives, what they put into their work, the love they have for their craft, their love for these majestic creatures. Through the years, they do the work while the white men prosper from their care and their labor.

Nikki, the youngest of the Bolton line is growing up not knowing the deep history of her family before her, and loving horses all the same. Riding comes so naturally to her and she is making a name for herself in the rodeo scene. When the ever-grabbing hands of rich white men come in to take land belonging to the Boltons for over a century, her father is forced to revisit his tragic past to hold onto what he and his ancestors bled for.

I absolutely loved this book. I cried so many times while reading this. This is packed with detail and history. Beautifully written, so informative, packed with emotion, tragedy, and triumph. I couldn't recommend this book more!

[carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 / 5 stars -

Unfortunately, I don't think this novel was for me! I am a bit sad because this was an interesting premise and there was much potential with this novel.

Let's start off with the positives: DeLane Dameron takes an interesting concept that many authors do not write about, Black cowboys, and writes a multi-generational tale about the Bolton family on their cultivation of South Carolinian land and horse expertise which shaped their family legacy.

I was left wanting more from the characters, the audience gets fed bits of information but it isn't enough to portray who these characters truly are. In the same vein, the plot feels lacklustre in the sense where I wasn't sure what our objective was. Coupled with the fact that it was easy to get lost in which period we were in (??), I was left confused and wanting more.

I am grateful for the opportunity to read this novel, and thank you to Netgalley for this copy!

[Cathy O'c · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book to rate as there were sections that I loved. I enjoyed the beginning of the book as it dealt with horse racing and breeding and the role that black trainers, groomers and riders had in the development of horse racing in America. I loved the section with Moses and his wife and enjoyed the pace and completeness of the narrative in section 1. In later sections of the book I had difficulty keeping up with people and events as characters would come and go without much explanation. The three stars are because I feel the topic of the black cowboy and horse trainer is such an important one in our history. I was sorry to hear that this book is being published after the death of the author, who sounds like a remarkable woman. Perhaps she just tried to get out every story she had in this sweeping, often confusing novel. I received this advance reading copy from Netgalley and the publisher for my opinion.

[Cory Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. It took me a bit to get into this book, but now I’m sitting here crying after reading the author’s note. It is so crystal clear that Dameron was a poet. Both the prose and the dialogue are beautifully written.

I saw a lot of negative reviews that commented on the structure, timeline, lack of plot etc., and I guess I can see all of that, but once I started thinking of each chapter as a vignette into the lives of the characters, it really all came together for me.

I loved the strong male friendship between Sonny and Dwayne, and how they pretty much raised Nikki together. I also loved learning about the history of Black cowboys in South Carolina.

This book likely won’t be for everyone, but I thought it was a stunner, and am so sad Dameron passed away before seeing it published.

[Larissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lovely quick read that follows a family through multiple generations as they work to establish themselves as black cowboys and build up their family farm. Sadly, that road is filled with many losses and tragedies along the way. Personally, this book just wasn’t for me. I love what DeLana was trying to build with her story, but I just personally never really got into the story. I enjoyed certain sections of the story, and there were others that left me truly confused. There is also a lot going on within this story to try and keep track of everyone and how it happened and when. It is a solid idea; it was just one I was never fully able to sink my teeth into.
Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

[Pat Trattles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally when thinking of cowboys (and cowgirls) most people think of the Wild West, not South Carolina. Fairfield County tells the often ignored story of the contribution southern Black “cowboys” made to raising and training horses, primarily for the racing and rodeo industries. For the most part I enjoyed this multi-generational story highlighting four generations of the horse raising Bolton family. It started out strong and ended on a strong note as well. The middle bogged down and was less captivating. 3.5 stars overall. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Oni Banks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about the love of horses. Caring for them, training, racing, everything. It’s about the pride and importance of owning land in America as a black man or woman. It’s about legacy and generational trauma. I enjoyed the slow pace and scenic nature of this novel at first. But as it went on I wanted more direction in the narrative. Also, it’s an incredibly heavy story with little relief from the sad (but very real) subject matter. I wish the story gave equal time to the joy and peace of the characters as it did to their suffering and frustration.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

FAIRFIELD COUNTY is an engaging look at the panorama of Black-owned land in the South. While the story starts out shortly after the Civil War, and the land available to former slaves, most of it takes place within the last 20 years or so. The generations of male, horse handlers and farm owners give way to the arrival of a daughter who experiences the family’s heritage completely. She loves horses and the rodeo life, and it takes her father awhile to understand that the family passion is independent of gender. This is a fascinating look at a lifestyle not often explored in books. I received my copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

[Tonya Bryant Gillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was slow moving. It gave a lot of background on Moses and his life moving from his family’s past as slaves to becoming free. Breeding horses for racing was his livelihood and he wanted to pass this on to his sons to carry on the legacy he had built. This was a great premise and I really wanted to learn more about this life. The death of animals is hard for me to read about so this book was rather emotional for me.

It is a very slow moving read.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House- The Dial Press for this advanced reader copy and this is my honest review.

[Jeannine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a southern Black family from the end of the Civil War to the present. The roots of the family leave slavery with Dwayne's grandfather and his skill with horses. He is able to create something on his own land and dreams of passing it down to his children. What follows is the up and downs and tragedies in all families, a fire, a war, secrets and love and each generation's relationship to the land, family and horses. Solid historical fiction with characters to care about and pull for, written at a fairly leisurely pace. Rewarding. Recommended.

[Paula Pugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The trials and tribulations of four generations of Black South Carolina horsemen are recounted in this poignant story. Each generation faces deep troubles, sadness, and grief amid times of joy.
The story is told in a true to form prose and dialog of the Black community. The situations, experiences, and lives of the characters will touch you on many levels, evoking deep sentiment and emotion.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[booksbydorothea]

DNF

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I so wanted to read this book as the premise was so very intriguing - four generations of Black cowboys in Fairfield County, SC.

Sadly, the character development was weak, and this book did not live up to its potential.

This book didn’t work for me, but it may work for you. On to the next book - life is too short to read books that don’t resonate.

[Mary Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairfield County is a beautifully written family saga about the Boltons, a Black family that has been working in the horse business for generations. Ms. Dameron weaves the story slowly, but in a way that pulled me in and made me emotionally invested in knowing what happens. I was saddened to learn that Ms. Dameron passed away last November, but I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to read her last book. Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Presx for the ARC.

[Rae Franco-Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The area is South Carolina, in "Fairfield County", where the Bolton family has lived for many generations. There was a terrible tragedy that took place in this family, meaning the son named, Dwayne inherited the family land. This family raised horses, but in this time era, it was different to see a black family with their own ranch. After arriving home from the Army he had a daughter, her name is Nikki. This young girl inherited the love of horses, and eventually entered rodeos. Such talent in this young lady, she proved her self to be a very talented horsewoman.

I wanted to read this book as I have a love for historical fictions and stories that take place in the south. For me, I found it really difficult to book this novel down each night. What was going to happen next, and waiting till the next day to read it again. Sadly, I found out that DeLana R. A. Dameron passed away last year. What a short life she had, 1985 -2055. I am looking forward to reading her other book "Redwood Court", that too takes place in the south.

I am very thankful to Dial Press/Penguin Random House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book prior to publishing.