The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White

I am hard to impress yet found myself drawn in to this book even while shuddering at times. I worked closely with one of the interviewees for years; presentation of her in the book is most accurate.

Readers reluctant to read THE HAIRSTONS because of its similarity to Edward Ball's SLAVES IN THE FAMILY should not be dissuaded. In some ways, this is a better book. The author Henry Wiencek provides a sometimes confusing family tree of both white and black Hairstons. Once you get used to it, you will find yourself paging back and forth trying to find the Hairston Wiencek is talking about. What I found most fascinating was how the Hairstons kept the plantations in the family. For instance, "Saura Town Peter" Hairston arranged for his daughter Ruth to marry his nephew Robert after her first husband, Peter Wilson, died young. This usually worked, but in this instance, Robert, who wanted to free his slaves against Peter's daughter's wishes, left his family. He established another Hairston dynasty in Mississippi. When Wiencek tells us about Robert and his heirs, the book becomes fascinating. Robert fell in love with one of his slaves, having a daughter with her. When he died, he left his plantations to the daughter, Chrillis. The other Hairstons, some of whom had followed Robert to Mississippi, fought the will, and when that didn't work they transferred Chrillis to another plantation, telling the judge she had died. Wiencek tracks down Chrillis, and she's not the only former slave he's able to ferret out. Once again "Saura Town Peter" enters the picture. Wiencek contends that "Saura Town Peter" had another family with one of his slaves, Sally Blag. At a reunion of the black Hairstons, Wiencek meets Joseph Henry Hairston. Joseph knows he had a white ancestor but is unable to trace any further back than a slave named Elias. Wiencek is able to find strong circumstantial evidence that "Saura Town Peter" may have been the Joseph's white ancestor. Joseph Henry Hairston is a remarkable man. He works his way up from sharecropper to army officer to lawyer for the federal government. Joseph and Judge Peter Wilson Hairston, the present owner of Cooleemee Plantation on the Yadkin River in North Carolina, are the central protagonists in the book. Judge Peter opens his archives to Wiencek and helps him all he can to write this book, although he's worried what Wiencek may say. The white Hairstons insist that their family was kind to their slaves. Judge Peter's worst fears come true when Wiencek shows the Judge's grandfather selling Robert Hairston's slaves down the river. There is reconciliation at the end, however, as Judge Peter opens Cooleemee to the black Hairstons and the black Hairstons embrace their heritage no matter how cruel some of the Hairston ancestors and overseers were to their people.

A truly fascinating study on the legacy of slavery as seen through the eyes of the black and white members of the same family. Indeed the truth is stranger than fiction, as this book reads more like a novel than a retelling of our history. Kudos to Henry Wiencek for his painstaking research in bringing back to life on these pages the long-dead Hairston ancestors. I couldn’t put it down and it is impossible not to be deeply moved by this sweeping family saga. After reading this book it is no wonder why we are still struggling and are at odds with this nation’s history of racial discrimination and injustice, and I was reminded of the adage that we are all fortunate beyond measure that black Americans are only seeking equality and not revenge.

All right, let's sum up:1. Yes, the author is biased against the white people in this fascinating story. But he is candid enough to admit it and those instances when this prejudice appear are easy to identify and thus deal with on the part of an alert reader. Why the author thinks you cannot love your grandfather and respect his accomplishments even though he was flawed (as all human beings are) is a great mystery. Why he thinks sins are inherited is even more mystifying.2. Yes, the family trees are confusing but the anecdotes are great3. Well-written.4. Written by a Yankee, yes, but one with a fascination for the South.Summation: This book has flaws but it is still well worth reading and much better than Slaves in the Family or Confederates in the Attic

Growing up in the deep South, there were so many Family Secrets that it was embarassing to me. I am so glad that this Author decided to write the book. I remember getting a post card way back in the early 1990's and thought it was a gimmick so I had no imput in the book. There is nothing to be ashamed of now and I hope that everyone who reads it will understand better the relationshop with us and the slaves that toiled to soil for us. Unfortunately during the aftermath of the Civil War, my branch of the Family did not have much left. Many of us have worked real hard to set things right for many who suffered. As I was growing up only small bits and pieces of our Families past were reveled to me. I always felt that I was being kept in the dark and now things have been illminated for me. Thank you for writting this book just for me.

This is an eye opening book. The Good the bad and the ugly side of a branch of my family. The author did an excellent job of gathering pieces of the puzzle and presenting a broad picture which adds perspective to our family. All I can say is Wow this is unreal.

a lengthy research project which is detailed almost as a detective story, But weaker because it lacks photographs of both people and places that the author visited.

We can learn about humanity from America’s largest family, a family in Black and White!