Bountiful Red Acres

“Using a blend of storytelling, facts and infographics, Eileen Heyes creates a picture of farm life in the Piedmont region of North Carolina during the early days of the previous century. The lives of neighboring families—one Black and one White—described over the course of a year, are interconnected in sometimes surprising ways. The joyful paintings by Dare Coulter show the hard work, tragedy and community that were part of a way of life that once was dominant in the state. Heyes and Coulter offer a vibrant look at the people who lived on the land and buildings that now make up the Horne Creek Farm State Historical Site.”—Jacqueline K. Ogburn, author of The Unicorn in the Barn

“Bountiful Red Acres is a snapshot of rural life in North Carolina in the late 1800s. Eileen Heyes has given us a feast for our senses. The reader is engulfed in the aroma of freshly cut hay and the sizzle of frying apples! We move from season to season on a rollercoaster of hard work and the celebrations that follow. This story also bears witness to the structural inequalities built into American life that see African Americans working just as long and hard and receiving less compensation for the same amount of effort. Amidst the recipes, history, descriptions of farming at the turn of the century, and Dare Coulter’s beautiful illustrations, is a story of neighbors caring for each other and working together to force a living out of the red clay soil of North Carolina.”—Donna Washington, author/storyteller, cofounder of Artists Standing Strong Together (dlwstoryteller.com)