Here’s something to chew on—by the 1920s, nearly 70% of Black farmers in the South were sharecroppers, working land they didn’t own and surrendering up to half of their crops to white landlords. That’s the world Ophelia and Marvin Smith live in, and Kuimba doesn’t shy away from showing just how deep that divide between wealth and poverty runs.

Priscilla B. Shuler paints this contrast in full color—the Barnards, with their sprawling plantation and red Stutz Bearcat car, sit at the top of the ladder, while the Smiths scrape by, patching together a living from fields they’ll never own. But it’s not just about money; it’s about power. Marvin knows that even after long days of backbreaking work, the best of his harvest will always go to the Barnards. That’s the price of living on their land.

And then there’s R.Ed Barnard—the entitled son who sees Kuimba’s gift and feels threatened by it, like wealth isn’t enough to make him superior. This unspoken class tension hums beneath the surface of the novel, where small acts of kindness and violence alike stem from where each character stands on the economic ladder.

Shuler doesn’t hit you over the head with social commentary, but it lingers in the background, shaping every interaction. It’s the kind of storytelling that makes you stop and wonder—how much of that world still exists today?

About the Author

Priscilla B. Shuler’s journey began in August 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression. The youngest of three children, she grew up with her brother Forest, while her sister Victoria lived with a great aunt in Florida. Her early years were defined by a strict and bipolar father, whose dominance was tempered by her mother’s quiet efforts to maintain stability. School provided a rare escape, where Priscilla excelled in academics until a discouraging high school teacher nearly stifled her love for history. At 18, she left home, married a Clemson ROTC cadet, and spent 25 years exploring the world as a military spouse. Retirement became the start of a new chapter, as Priscilla turned to writing, producing six novels that interweave her experiences with vivid fiction. 

Links

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