Story Behind The Book
This is Volume Two of a projected three-volume series that follows the Grenville family from the Civil War into the twentieth century. "Yankee Reconstructed" tells the stories of the tumultuous years of Reonstruction, 1867 through 1877.
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Reviews
<p>One beta-reader, Paul Hedden, wrote:</p> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">An outstanding primer to Reconstruction in South Carolina.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Well-constructed and historically accurate novel</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Relates the sad story of Reconstruction in South Carolina</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">2<sup class="yiv0356982024">nd</sup> novel of the Grenville family in South Carolina is a fascinating review of South Carolina history from colonial days through the end of Reconstruction in 1878.<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span></span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">What passed during Reconstruction still remains today as the standard of inter-racial behavior, public and private.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Plots and sub-plots illustrating this little understood period in South Carolina’s history.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Discussion of problems still plaguing contemporary South Carolina and their source. The development of South Carolina’s educational system.<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span>The source of the State’s Right to Work law.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Many facts and minutiae of South Carolina's’ early buildings and the industries and societies that used these edifices and resources including enslaved craftsmen.<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span>The character Henry conveys remarkable insight into todays’ conflict of religion and politics in a democracy.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Additionally the fascinating bit of the history of the Carolina Marsh Tacky, a horse breed found here in South Carolina. Also the Sheldon Church, “Flemish” bond brick laying.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">The excesses of the Reconstruction (Black Republican) legislature.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Remarkably well researched as to details.<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span>Demonstrates the deep understanding of the most current of historical research including the post-Civil War sociology of death, the legal confusions of Andrew Johnson’s approach to Reconstruction; the development of the SC Reconstruction Constitution.<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span>Imparts a good sense of the fear, on the part of the white population, of the idea of equality of the races and its consequences today.<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span>Evocative of the constant threat of violence, political and racial or both throughout the State in this period.</span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Introduces to the general public the many personalities that shaped post-Civil War thought in South Carolina:<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span>Robert Smalls, Benjamin Randolph, Wade Hampton and Rufus Saxon. And other, less notable but not of less importance, people who implemented the ideas of reconstructing South Carolina:<span class="yiv0356982024"> </span><span class="yiv0356982024"> </span>e.g. Laura Towne and the Penn School and its details. </span></font></div> <div class="yiv0356982024"><font face="times new roman, new york, times, serif" size="3"><span class="yiv0356982024">Reflects the total chaos that paralyzed South Carolina in the post war years. </span></font></div>