Review: Bootlegger's Daughter

Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Solid murder mystery, and interesting having it take place in a fictionalized version of Johnston County, just south of Raleigh, N.C. I'll be looking forward to more in this series. 

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Review: The Tar Heel State: A History of North Carolina

The Tar Heel State: A History of North Carolina by Milton Ready
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you have any interest in North Carolina history or in North Carolina in general, this is probably a must-read, mostly because as far as I know it is the only book out there specializing in general North Carolina history. For example, I found it quite interesting to read how Thomas Cary attempted a coup of the colony, since there is a city named after him now, or how William Tryon was generally a devious bad person (and much in the state is named after him). But if you're not in NC these names probably mean nothing to you. 

All in all I'm very happy I read it since it taught me much more of the background and history of the state I live in. 

Some of my notes:

North Carolina's original name was Virginia, and the first English person born in the Colonies was called Virginia Dare, after the state. 

Thomas Cary's attempt at a coup almost spelled the end of the colony (p. 44)

Blackbeard basically strong armed his way into the state, intimidated the governor and was able to get a royal pardon (since the governor was allowed to issue them). (p.45)

Virginia decided to invade North Carolina (p. 46)

NC split from SC in 1712

Raleigh was chosen as a capital despite there not being yet a city of Raleigh. It was a location (Lane's plantation) close to Hunter's Tavern, where many Westerners (who were in control at the time) liked to drink. The Easterners preferred an established city such as Fayetteville. (p. 152)

Thomas Jefferson hired Antonio Canova to create a bust of Washington for the Raleigh statehouse (p. 152)

The Conscription Act (1862) by the confederacy angered many in NC and throughout the south. It went against State rights. (p. 232)

"Reborn as North Carolinians and US citizens after the civil war, ex-slaves sought first not the right to vote, hold office, serve on juries, or own property, but the freedom to bind their families together, both legally and traditionally" (p. 261)

After the 1932 election, Democrats were the liberal party for the entire country except the South (p. 323)

Very interesting how segregation was seen as a progressive move by many. Since the KKK and the red shirts were terrorizing black people, and especially after the Wilmington massacre, it was thought by many that segregation would bring about peace and allow each race to continue with their affairs. 

"events of the 1930s tended to divide southern Democrats from their more liberal party members nationwide and to lay the foundations for the shift to Republicanism two decades later. Indeed, after World War II, some southern Democrats, unhappy with Roosevelt and Truman's liberalism, especially on civil rights, seceded from the Democrats altogether and established their own Dixiecrat Party in 1948" (p. 338)

Barry Goldwater took advantage of this situation. Republicans emerged as the States rights party. Goldwater believed Southern Democrats longed for change. Race was almost never mentioned, but would underlie almost everything (p. 353)

New code words replaced older more blunt vernacular of segregation and white supremacy (p. 355)

Some companies founded in NC: Pepsi, Cheerwine, Krispy Kreme, Food Lion, Ingles, Family Dollar, Belk's (p. 380-1)

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Review: The North Carolina Experience: An Interpretive and Documentary History

The North Carolina Experience: An Interpretive and Documentary History by Lindley S. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The structure of this book is original: Each chapter has an introduction, broadly describing what happened during a certain time period. This is then followed by original letters and documents. 

This is a pretty effective way of going through North Carolina's history, at least for me. I was able to understand the general situation, and then read first-hand accounts of the goings-on (complete with original spelling, such as: "This towne is seated on ye river side, haveing ye clefts of ye river on ye one side..."). It does, however, seem to gloss over certain events for which there is little documentation. For example, the Tuscarora war is just mentioned several times in passing, remarking on how important it was, but it is never dealt with in detail. 

The parts about slavery, the civil war, reconstruction, and civil rights were enlightening. I can never help wondering what bias, if any, there is, given how current these issues still are. 

Some of my notes:

The treaty between the Cherokee and the United States (p. 21) was so blatantly not followed I am amazed. The treaty itself is almost equitable (the cherokee shall have a delegate to Congress, only the Cherokee who wish to leave need to. Those who leave will have all expenses covered, and a doctor shall accompany them, etc.) To think this was followed through with the trail of tears is mind-boggling. 

North Carolina never produced a farming economy comparable to the plantation system of lowcountry South Carolina or tidewater Virginia, so its relationship to slavery was ambivalent, and it pretty much joined the civil war out of solidarity with its Southern neighbors (is this true?). 

Nearly one-fourth of all conscripts in the southern army (21,348 men) came from North Carolina (p. 267)

Description of North Carolinians, 1865:

"Spindling of legs, round of shoulders, sunken of chest, lank of body, stooping of posture, narrow of face, retreating of forehead, thin of nose, small of chin, large of mouth, - this is the Native North Carolinian as one sees him outside the cities and large towns. [...]- the man who pays a tax and votes, but never runs for office; who was a private in the Rebel army, but never anything more; who hate the Yankees as a matter of course, but has no personal ill-will toward them; who believes in the Divine right of slavery, but is positive that a free negro cannot be made to work."

-Sidney Andrews (p.294)

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Review: I Am One of You Forever

I Am One of You Forever by Fred Chappell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book on spec (at dog-eared books, in Raleigh), and at first I thought it was a novel. Then I realized it was a collection of short stories, which seemed cute, but nothing much more. In fact, the constant barrage of visiting uncles (and aunt) were getting me confused. 

However, after having read the book I must say the stories are sticking with me. The magical realism, which seemed sort of cheap at first, also seemed to work. Maybe it's just because the last couple of stories were my favorite. Regardless, 4 stars. 

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