Cracker Gothic: A Florida Woman's Memoir

by Wanda Suttle Duncan

Wanda Duncan is a seventh generation Florida Cracker who left her small rural hometown behind at age eighteen. When she returns to care for her aging mother, she rediscovers the beauty of a quiet, river-front town with brick streets, ancient live oaks and decaying Victorian homes. In the midst of caring for her mother, Wanda's husband commits suicide. That's when the town becomes her refuge as a hidden, healing magic emerges from the sand and moss and sulfur water. Wanda's essays of her Cracker heritage and of rural Florida in the 21st century provide a glimpse of an old and authentic Florida that most tourists miss. Her stories of caring for an aging parent while dealing with personal grief speak to how place can heal a heart, and will resonate with others on this journey.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2019

About the author

Wanda Duncan earned her Bachelor’s degree at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, and her Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree at Wake Forest University, where her academic focus was on Southern literature and creative non-fiction. She has been a contributing writer to The Digital Forsyth Project, Early American Music Magazine, Winston-Salem Monthly Magazine and Our State Magazine, the state magazine for North Carolina. She was the 2018 Library Partners Press David Coates Non-Fiction Award Winner. "Cracker Gothic: A Florida Woman’s Memoir" is her first book.

Reviews

[Dan L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Wanda Suttle Duncan has done something extraordinary by reminding us that our own realities are our own, no one else’s, and in those realities are threads connecting us all. She takes us on a journey, both personal and geographic, through a south that is honest and real—not cliché. She shows us that beauty isn’t descended from perfection but blooms from the unexpected, the inexplicable--even the painful and gritty. Cracker Gothic will move you. You’ll live in the places it takes you and be glad for the trip.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a read! This beautiful book took me on a journey I didn't want to end! I picked this gem up, and and couldn't put it down until I'd finished it 36 hours later––staying up much of one night––because I was so swept up in the magical world of the author's ancestral home, and what she finds when she returns there later in life.

I've met Wanda Suttle Duncan. Her family is tied to dear friends of mine. So, when she published this book, I bought a copy to support a fellow writer, and because we love some of the same people, but I didn't crack it open right away. It sat on my book shelf, until one night when I was done with one book and searching for another. Honestly, I picked it up out of a sense of commitment. Then, an entirely unexpected thing happened: I fell in love––with Suttle Duncan's clear, sharp, delicious storytelling; the rich characters who inhabit this book; the compelling trajectory of her life, and with Green Cove Springs, FL––a place that's held me since I finished the final page and set this book down.

The author shares her history in such an authentic voice that I was hooked within the first chapter. As she drives from North Carolina, where she's lived and raised her children, back to Green Cove Springs, FL, the pace of her storytelling changes as the geography shifts. I found myself absorbed in the history and geographical magic of this place, swept up in its spell. I googled details, imagined taking up billiards, but mostly, dreamed of getting in my car and driving there, carried away on each word.

This book is beautiful in countless ways. It's impeccably written and magical, in equal parts simplicity and depth. This book will sweep you away, stay with you a long time.

[Christine Whittington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Wanda Duncan's Cracker Gothic. It gave me yet another picture of Florida from yet another viewpoint. Disclaimer: Wanda is a graduate of the same MA program as I am and I am so grateful that Wanda has written a delicious, scruptious, painfully funny endorsement for how that program encourages its students to think and publish. Around every corner was a "who knew" about Wanda (that she is a pool shark? who knew?) but even if I hadn't known Wanda, I would have loved this book for it's insight into "another Florida," along with Dave Barry, Carl Hiassen, and Karen Russell, and maybe Lynyrd Skynyrd. The reader feels as if she is traveling with Wanda during all of those road trips to visit her mother and catch up with friends from another time. Superb memoir!

[Mayrelou Stamps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good memories

Having lived in Green Cove Springs for nearly 44years I could identify with a lot of the author.s. Reminiscing. I had children her age and. Went to the same church as her family.

She had a piano recital in our home once.

I love that she has good memories of her home town.

Hello Wanda.

[Jack Cloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I was not raised in Green Cove Springs, I spent many of my formative years there and heard bits and pieces about many of the stories the author wrote about. Wanda did an excellent job of interweaving parts of her memoir with the history and quirky stories of her historic southern hometown of Green Cove Springs, Florida.

Well worth your time and in my opinion it’s a “Great” read.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a quick and delightful read. Duncan's voice is clear and true as she recounts personal tales from her hometown, with stories ranging from the tragic to the hilarious, the mysterious to the absurd. A continuing revelation of place and the human spirit that I wholeheartedly recommend.

[Sharon Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. It is rich with emotion, memories, and some very interesting history of the small Florida town Ms. Duncan grew up in, Green Cove Springs. I am very familiar with Green Cove Springs, as I have lived in Palatka, FL, which is only about 15 to 20 minutes south of GCS, and I've lived here for 45 years. Ms. Duncan though, definitely added a very personal touch to GCS for me, and ppointec out history of the area that I was unaware of. I read this as part of a reading group in our county, One Book, One Putnam where the few people who spearhead the group pick a book for the county to read, and then meet and discuss about every year. Due to the Pandemic, they chose three book and they are meeting virtually to discuss them. I decided to read the books, but at my own pace, and so far have enjoyed the two out of three books I've read. Number three is next month, and I will review it.

[Dan Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first chapter, I was immediately welcomed into the living room of a Florida family, navigating an everyday life in Green Cove Springs. Wanda Suttle Duncan's clever imagery and vivid recollections of her own life lived, resonates with any audience. She will hold the reader's hand through wide southern grins and guide you toward the natural sulphur springs (if only for a sip).

[kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

Wanda's description of her hometown and it's characters paints a picture of old Florida and reminds us all of times gone but not forgotten.

[lynn watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgic

Living nearby I truly enjoyed learning some of the history of this
Unique hamlet. I have always found it charming, similar to my home town in California

[Timothy Grubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love letter to Green Cove Springs…with a nod to the rest of Florida as well…

Cracker Gothic: A Florida Woman's Memoir by Wanda Suttle Duncan is an enthralling collection of anecdotes drawing from the writers experiences…with some told using verbiage much like an older relative retelling a story. I loved it…

Cracked Gothic is a testament to Florida culture, am with a heavy focus on green cove springs…with the writer being a mix of native and transplant (despite her being born there, her father had Tarheel blood).

It’s also a gripping reminder of the changing landscape of small town American (specifically Florida)…with the shining population, influx of chain stores, and the loss of the past. Even harder…the pattern of elder abuse and con artists prevalent in the state.

Fortunately, there are a host of fun stories to follow…each tied to green cove history. There’s the story of cult horror film ZAAT…the story for a goat autopsy (for those I know that have mini farms)…the story of paranormal investigations and the work of an acclaimed paranormal and magnetism expert Albert Roy Davis…

There’s also a running theme that reminds me of the godfather…that no matter how much you try to get out…Florida pulls you back in. Just because you leave…you’ll eventually find yourself drawn back much like the author…

Florida is in my blood and I don’t foresee myself ever leaving it permanently…

I recommend this book for my fellow Floridians…

[Margaret Pittenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author takes the reader in a road trip from North Carolina to her small hometown of Green Cove Springs, FL. She returns to care for her mother. My favorite paragraph sums it up, “Caring for my mother at the end of her life was exhausting, frustrating, sad. But the town, the trains, the brick streets, the river, the spring, the presence of old friends-they bring solace. A balance to the dismay of watching my mother decline. A century and a half ago, the town held a promise of restorative, healing powers for the weary and sick. When I returned to Green Cove Springs, it kept its promise.” Whether your from a small town or not, you’ll appreciate the story of family, friends, and coming home.

[Goth Radio Hour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart-touching and very grounding. Suttle Duncan's heartfelt memoir brings you deep into the heart of Green Cove Springs. As a Florida resident I am excited to make the day trip the historic city once the April rain schedule permits it.
Suttle Ducan's memoir mixes local history with her own time growing up in the city and her frequent return visits as her mother's health declines. Her chapters are rich with detail and experience. I truly felt like I was there with her in the coffee shop, or just along Walnut Street.
I hope Suttle Duncan writes a second book because this one was so lovely to read.

[Dewin Anguas Barnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written and engaging memoir of both the author’s life and that of a very small town, Green Cove Springs. I grew up in the next town over, yet this is the first history of GCS that I have learned. I have always felt the charm of the place, regardless of its superficial neglected appearance, and I have visited the places described in these pages many times, but Ms. Duncan gives them a beauty that I had up til now never acknowledged.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this beautifully written book, Duncan narrates her memories and current life in a small Florida town while taking care of her mother who was diagnosed with dementia. We see the town’s colorful and charming history, its moments of fame that fade into obscurity, and the heartbreak that comes with loss, both of a small town’s glory and a parent’s mind. I highly recommend this book for lovers of Americana and people who sometimes need to know that they are not alone.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part travelogue, part memoir, Duncan's endearing and admirably paced paean to her Florida hometown should take its place in the canon of American regional literature.

[Stephanie Koscak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, a very vivid picture of Green Cove, FLA.

[Melinda Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A walk back in time

This is a wonderfully written book about a town I know well. It brought back a lot of memories! Thank you for writing!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story about Green Cove Springs Florida.

[Lana Doane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful descriptions of a route I have taken so many times throughout my life. I need to slow down and take a better look around.

[Diana Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clay County native

I recognize every place in this book! Green Cove Springs & Spring Park pool, Hickory Grove Cemetery & brick streets. An excellent read!

[Sam Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book. But it’s also an important book. I recommend it. See my review here: https://www.allthebiscuitsingeorgia.c...

[sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give this 3.5 stars if I could!
Title choice was… interesting, but it’s a good read overall.
Someone bought this for my mom off the display inside Spring Park Coffee (which is often mentioned in the book!) Finally got around to reading it :)
I think it starts to drag halfway through, but a solid, relatable story nonetheless. The best part of this book is that it captures the beauty of Florida so perfectly! 🩷