I’m shouting it out today about a new title that my friends at Books Forward alerted me to – here’s the scoop:

Debut historical fiction novel chronicles change and resilience among the tobacco fields of 1950s North Carolina 

RALEIGH, North Carolina – Leo Daughtry’s debut novel, “Talmadge Farm,” transports readers to the tobacco fields of 1950s North Carolina. “Talmadge Farm” (Story Merchant Books, June 4, 2024) reflects on the dreams and struggles of the American South, made more poignant by the author’s personal experiences growing up among the tobacco fields of Sampson County, North Carolina, during periods of turbulent societal change.

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.

“Talmadge Farm”

Leo Daughtry | June 4, 2024 | Story Merchant Books | Historical Fiction/Southern Fiction

Paperback | ISBN 978-1-970157-43-7 | $14.99

Also available as an ebook 

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.