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Red Clay Audiobook
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An astounding multigenerational saga, Red Clay chronicles the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War ends and Reconstruction begins.
In 1943, when a frail old white woman shows up in Red Clay, Alabama, at the home of a Black former slave—on the morning following his funeral—his family hardly knows what to expect after she utters the words “… a lifetime ago, my family owned yours.” Adelaide Parker has a story to tell—one of ambition, betrayal, violence, and redemption—that shaped both the fate of her family and that of the late Felix H. Parker.
But there are gaps in her knowledge, and she’s come to Red Clay seeking answers from a family with whom she shares a name and a history that neither knows in full. In an epic saga that takes us from Red Clay to Paris, to the Côte d’Azur and New Orleans, human frailties are pushed to their limits as secrets are exposed and the line between good and evil becomes ever more difficult to discern. Red Clay is a tale that deftly lays bare the ugliness of slavery, the uncertainty of the final months of the Civil War, the optimism of Reconstruction, and the pain and frustration of Jim Crow.
With a vivid sense of place and a cast of memorable characters, Charles B. Fancher draws upon his own family history to weave a riveting tale of triumph over adversity, set against a backdrop of societal change and racial animus that reverberates in contemporary America. Through seasons of joy and unspeakable pain, Fancher delivers rich moments as allies become enemies, and enemies—to their great surprise—find new respect for each other.
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“With an unforgettable cast of characters and close attention to detail, Charles B. Fancher has written a gripping novel that offers a nuanced picture of a society struggling to move forward and backward simultaneously, bringing fresh perspective to social, economic, and political forces unleashed by the end of the Civil War and the decades that followed. In addition, it’s a darn good read that belongs in every school library.”
— Linda Winslow, former executive producer, PBS NewsHour
Quotes
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“At once a riveting family story and a heartbreaking tour of American history, Red Clay overflows with pain, hope, and grace. It is that rare novel that shows us who we are by reminding us where we have been.”
— Michael O’Donnell, author of Above the Fire -
“A moving, entertaining saga of memorable characters and painful truths, Red Clay rises from America’s deepest shadows to remind us of how entangled we still are with our past.”
— Dan Fesperman, author of Winter Work -
“This impressive debut novel is a splendid addition to a relatively new genre of historical fiction that focuses on the lives of Black men and women—and their interactions with their white oppressors—during the Civil War and Reconstruction. Vividly written, Red Clay features well-researched historical details, fully drawn characters, and surprising plot twists. Bravo!”
— Cynthia Tucker, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and coauthor of The Southernization of America
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About Charles B. Fancher
Charles B. Fancher is a writer and editor, and a former senior corporate communications executive for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He also worked as a journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Detroit Free Press, and WSM-TV, as well as a publicist for the ABC Television Network. Fancher was previously a member of the School of Communications faculty at Howard University and the adjunct faculty at Temple University. He lives in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.
About Dion Graham
Dion Graham is an award-winning narrator named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine. He has been a recipient of the prestigious Audie Award numerous times, as well as Earphones Awards, the Publishers Weekly Listen Up Awards, IBPA Ben Franklin Awards, and the ALA Odyssey Award. He was nominated in 2015 for a Voice Arts Award for Outstanding Narration. He is also a critically acclaimed actor who has performed on Broadway, off Broadway, internationally, in films, and in several hit television series. He is a graduate of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, with an MFA degree in acting.