We Were the Lands [Hardcover]

John Head (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

A moving story of one man's quest to renovate his family's decrepit homestead and the lessons he learns along the way about the meaning of family and community.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1997, the author, an Atlanta journalist, decided to buy a farm in Butts County, Ga., that had been purchased in 1939 by his deceased grandfather, Buddy Fitch. Driven by nostalgia and a curiosity about Fitch, Head spent nearly two years restoring the dilapidated farmhouse and trying to figure out how Fitch, a poor black man, had been able to raise the $2000 necessary to buy the farm from a prominent white family, and why, shortly after the purchase, he began selling off acres. According to his family, Fitch had been a joyless taskmaster who relentlessly drove his children to work long hours on the farm to the point of denying his daughter (the author's mother) the opportunity to finish school. Anyone involved in house renovation will relate to Head's problems with unreliable contractors and incompetent plumbers, described here in humorous detail. He was rescued by Ben, a talented handyman, who assisted him with the backbreaking work for free because during the Great Depression Fitch had given Ben's father work and saved his family from starvation. Motivated by the discovery of this heretofore unknown charitable aspect of his grandfather's character, Head researched further and discovered that Fitch was able to buy the farm by applying for a government loan and then sold off the acres to make the payments. Although parts of Fitch's story remain elusive and the farmhouse is still not completed, Head's affection for the Georgia countryside and the ways of its people, and his ability to capture their cadences, yield satisfaction. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When Head purchased his grandfather's rundown farmhouse in Georgia, he expected to have the renovations completed in six months; instead, the project took 20 months and cost far more than he expected. A journalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Head chronicles every step of his remodeling project, from the initial advice to "tear it down and start over" to ever-frustrating problems with delays and incompetent workmen. What sets this account apart is Head's ability to interweave details of the renovation with family recollections and his quest for his roots in the beams of the old house. Between details of tearing out walls, replacing the roof, and designing a new addition, Head tells of talking to neighbors and searching old records to learn what kind of man his grandfather was and how he, a black man, managed to acquire the land. A warm and engaging story, this will appeal to those interested in the African American experience and anyone who has remodeled an old house. Recommended for all public libraries.ANancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 218 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing; First edition. edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563525283
• ISBN-13: 978-1563525285
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,653,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book of Southern Life, November 8, 2009

By 

K. H. (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Were the Lands (Hardcover)

First, let me say that I'm a small bit bias because the handyman, Ben, is my father.

This book shares the history of how southern African Americans made sure that communities continued to survive. Deals on handshakes kept families fed. If you love the "African American Lives" series, this book is for you.