"Run To Seed" 1891

In the years after the Civil War, the Upton family clings to a broken homestead on a hill where a pine box once held Jim’s fallen father. The war’s scars linger in Jim’s mind, while his mother, a weary widow in a faded black dress, endures the scorn of neighbors who label the Uptons “the shiftless.” Their fields are overrun with sassafras and pine, the fences rotted, and the house barely stands, yet the family’s small rituals—like tending the thorn‑tree enclosure— keep the past from slipping entirely into oblivion.

Against this backdrop, the story follows Jim and his sister Kitty as they confront the harsh realities of a post‑war South that offers little mercy. Their daily struggles to keep the land, honor a lost father, and resist the bitterness of the community reveal a quiet resilience. As they wrestle with debts, dwindling hope, and the weight of memory, the narrative invites listeners to witness how ordinary people strive to rebuild lives amid the ruins of conflict.