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

Kindle Edition

Expected publication 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

[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.

[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!

[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.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting novel featuring Moses, his son, Lloyd, and grandson, Dwayne who raise racehorses. It's ultimately a book about family and heritage, as they navigate the obstacles and rewards of farm life.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Keeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

one of those books i desperately wanted to love but the characters and plot felt underdeveloped. i loved the uniqueness of the story and there were some gorgeous sections of prose, but i’m bummed that i was only invested from like 70% onwards. thanks to the publisher for the ARC!