Customer Reviews

Blind Obedience: A True Story of Family Loyalty and Murder in South Georgia

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This story grips you and never turns loose. You ride an emotional roller coaster as it plays with your passions, bouncing you back and forth from sympathy to horror. Mr. Boyd has outdone himself. Obviously, humor is not his only forte, and he has proven it well in this outstanding recount of a blood feud which spanned at least three Georgia counties before its tragic end. He brings out the best and the worst of the characters involved in this chillingly accurate description of a century old crime. It is a must read for history and true crime fans.

The book, Blind Obedience, is truly a well-written story. I grew up very close to the site of the Rawlins & Carter farms near Val-Del Road a few miles east of Hahira, Georgia. My grandfather knew the families involved. A few years after the trials, my Uncle Ivey Johnson bought the old Carter place and lived there for several years. Anyone living in South Georgia should especially be interested in reading this text. Any book that I can read in slightly more than one days time has got to be good. Bill Boyd deserves praise for his writing efforts.

Bill Boyd has taken the forgotten hostilities of two families of the late 1800s/early 1900s and brought it back to life as if it were any modern day, headline-grabbing saga. His exploration of the characters' motivations and actions makes one feel as if Boyd were a first hand witness to this intriguing part of south Georgia's rich history. The tale of two misguided families is as fascinating as it is tragic. Take the trip back in time and experience a piece of forgotten human tragedy so deftly told by Boyd.

Being involved in the modern day south Georgia legal system and a one-time resident of Lowndes County, I thoroughly enjoyed this very detailed and well-written novel. The author's attention to the details of the trial and testimony is very exact, but the narrative flows almost like a suspenseful thriller. It is obvious the author spent a great deal of time talking to people about the background of the feud, as well as absorbing the tremendous amount of written material on the case and aftermath. Even 100 years later, this book puts you on the bustling streets of downtown Valdosta during the frantic days of the trials as if you were a spectator yourself. I highly recommend this novel.

This was a very involving book for me as I am the Great-grandson of Jesse Rawlins. The book flows very well. The facts are presented in a History channel type format where you get the information needed while at the same time you become starved for more after each page is turned. I would recommend this book to anyone in the SE United States, and History buffs across the world.

I could not put this book down! I grew up in Coffee County and knew some of the descendants of the people in the book. One of them was my school bus driver! Very well written story of children and their obedience to their father.

I really enjoyed this book! I couldn't put it down - I read it in 2 days. TRUE CRIME is my reading of choice but to have it take place so close to my hometown of Douglas is unusual! I live about 20 miles from the burial place of most of the people in this book. This book is really entertaining for history buffs wanting to know what life was like in turn-of-the-century rural Georgia including Coffee County and Lowndes County. Back then trials were the biggest source of entertainment available. The book mostly takes place in Jacksonville, Broxton, Ambrose, Hahira, and Valdosta, Georgia. REALLY INTERESTING READING!