
[](https://www.gutenberg.org/images/cover.jpg)
Ashes
Green Thursday
Missie
Meeting
Mount Pleasant
Finding Peace
The Red Rooster
Teaching Jim
Catfish
The opening paints a vivid portrait of a quiet Southern plantation perched between two restless rivers and a wide, silent swamp. Lush cotton and corn fields stretch under the watchful shade of towering oaks, while the Quarters house the rhythm of black families whose days are marked by planting, singing, and the occasional trek into the swamp for food. Amid this timeless landscape, a weather‑stained log cabin—its front fashioned like a smiling face—belonging to the solitary Maum Hannah, offers a pocket of gentle independence, complete with a garden of roses, gardenias, and a modest herd of hens and a cow.
Through lyrical description, the narrative invites listeners to wander the red‑clay roads, feel the heat of summer blossoms, and hear the soft steps of barefoot men guiding mules through the rows. The scene is set for stories that will explore the lives, hopes, and subtle struggles of the people who call this enduring place home.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (217K characters)
Release date
2025-11-25
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1880–1961
A Pulitzer Prize-winning South Carolina novelist, she became known for vivid fiction rooted in rural Southern life and for bringing Gullah-speaking Black characters to the center of her work. Her books drew national attention in the 1920s and still spark conversation for their literary ambition and cultural perspective.
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