Our Fathers' Fields: A Southern Story
The author lives on a South Carolina plantation, an ancestral seat that he has restored to former glory. The Hardy family acquired this extensive piece of property in 1786, and it was to remain in Hardy hands for two centuries. When Kibler bought it, he got involved not only in the resurrection of the house and land but also in the story of the Hardy family, and in this exuberantly detailed narrative, he tells all he learned. His book is a greatly revealing immersion in southern plantation life from colonial times to the present. Vivid reconstructions of farming practices, domestic tasks, and what the Civil War did to antebellum life give context to meticulously researched details about specific topics, ranging from the plasterwork found inside the house to the plants in the formal gardens outside. Overarching the factual material are the stories of the family members, who are brought vividly to life here.Brad Hooper