Cotton Field of Dreams [Hardcover]

Janis F. Kearney (Author), Bill Clinton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

Cultural Writing. Memoir. African-American Studies. COTTON FIELD OF DREAMS is Janis F. Kearney's poignant memoir of the journey that led her from the cotton fields of Lincoln County, Arkansas, to the West Wing of the White House, where she served as diarist to former President William Jefferson Clinton. "Our hearts are warmed by stories [such] as this one: under-educated African-American sharecroppers pushing their children to achieve academically, then seeing them reach amazing pinnacles of success. From their parents, the Kearney children absorbed a powerful conviction: They were neither better nor less than any other human beings. This conviction gave them the self confidence to move far beyond their difficult beginnings"--William Jefferson Clinton. "Well-written, COTTON FIELD OF DREAMS is a welcome addition to libraries, seamlessly weaving lyrical prose and poignant human drama to entice the reluctant and satisfy the mature to read"--Roland Barksdale-Hall.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Janis F. Kearney, a native of the southeast Arkansas delta, is a writer, lecturer and oral historian who served as personal diarist to President William Jefferson Clinton and was publisher of the award-winning Arkansas State Press Newspaper, formerly owned by civil rights legend Daisy Gatson Bates, of the 1957 Central High Crisis.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 341 pages
• Publisher: Writing Our World Press (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976205807
• ISBN-13: 978-0976205807
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking Us Back..., January 14, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cotton Field of Dreams (Hardcover)

Upon meeting Janis F. Kearney, one is presented with a combination of soft-spoken gentleness, wisdom beyond her years, and a quiet strength that isn't seen often in people anymore. I've had the pleasure of meeting Kearney, and now after reading her memoir, I've had the opportunity to learn a bit more about her and how she came to have the above qualities. COTTON FIELD OF DREAMS, her debut title, is a beautiful heart-felt tribute to her family.

It amazes me and touches my heart how such a large family with so few material possessions had so much that matters in life...love, support, and determination to succeed at all costs. How is it that an uneducated sharecropper with 17 children can inspire his children to learn and to reach for the greater things in life? How is it that those same children missed the first portion of the school year, but were still ahead of their class academically? How is it that each of these children grew up to surpass the confines put on their parents and other poor blacks of that time period? The book was so real to me, I shared in the family's happy times, their heartaches, their success, and the benefit of parents who inspired and instilled the importance of education. I cried over the deaths in Kearney's family, rejoiced in the yearly reunion, and celebrated a great piece of African-American history and family.

Kearney was the personal diarist to Clinton and also served in other positions during his campaign and years in office. In the foreword he points out, "From their parents, the Kearney children absorbed a powerful conviction: They were neither better nor less than any other human being. This conviction gave them the self-confidence to move far beyond their difficult beginnings." It is this conviction, this type of upbringing, that is missing in the majority of houses today.

COTTON FIELD OF DREAMS shares the lessons taught by our forefathers and brought to fruition by faith, trust, perseverance, and the desire to dream. The writing is soft and soulful, the shared memories are heart-warming, and the final outcome of the Kearney children was simply awe-inspiring. When one thinks of 17 children growing up in the South during the mid-1900s, it is unusual to picture them as lawyers, historians, and such in the present, but with the exception of one child, they all reached this level of success. It just goes to show that materialistic wealth means nothing when compared to upbringing. It all goes back to the parents, one of the most important aspects of a child's life. (RAW Rating: 4.5)

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cotton Field Of Dreams: A Memoir, December 30, 2004

By 

Dinah Gant (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cotton Field of Dreams (Hardcover)

I had a hard time putting down once I began reading. Many publications tell the story of survival of urban families. This book tells the story of survival and success of a african-american rural family. The writing was so mesmerizing that I was able to visualize each event in the life of the Kearney family.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Personal History, February 11, 2005

By 

L. Carlis (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cotton Field of Dreams (Hardcover)

I am the niece of Janis Kearney. I can not tell you how blessed I was to read this book. In a family so large, it is hard to get everyone's "story." It brought tears to my eyes to read my aunt's memories, and through her words get to know a little bit about a grandmother I don't remember and an aunt whose death I can't forget. I hope that efforts like this will be taken up by more individuals, so that the generations that come behind us can benefit from the historian in us all.