The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi

By Richard Grant

Book Overview

Bestselling travel writer Richard Grant "sensitively probes the complex and troubled history of the oldest city on the Mississippi River through the eyes of a cast of eccentric and unexpected characters" (Newsweek).

Natchez, Mississippi, once had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in America, and its wealth was built on slavery and cotton. Today it has the greatest concentration of antebellum mansions in the South, and a culture full of unexpected contradictions. Prominent white families dress up in hoopskirts and Confederate uniforms for ritual celebrations of the Old South, yet Natchez is also progressive enough to elect a gay black man for mayor with 91% of the vote.

Much as John Berendt did for Savannah in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and the hit podcast S-Town did for Woodstock, Alabama, so Richard Grant does for Natchez in The Deepest South of All. With humor and insight, he depicts a strange, eccentric town with an unforgettable cast of characters. There's Buzz Harper, a six-food-five gay antique dealer famous for swanning around in a mink coat with a uniformed manservant and a very short German bodybuilder. There's Ginger Hyland, "The Lioness," who owns 500 antique eyewash cups and decorates 168 Christmas trees with her jewelry collection. And there's Nellie Jackson, a Cadillac-driving brothel madam who became an FBI informant about the KKK before being burned alive by one of her customers. Interwoven through these stories is the more somber and largely forgotten account of Abd al Rahman Ibrahima, a West African prince who was enslaved in Natchez and became a cause c l bre in the 1820s, eventually gaining his freedom and returning to Africa.

With an "easygoing manner" (Geoff Dyer, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of Otherwise Known as the Human Condition), this book offers a gripping portrait of a complex American place, as it struggles to break free from the past and confront the legacy of slavery.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1501177842
• ISBN13: 9781501177842
• Release Date: August 2021
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Groundbreaking and eye-opening

In The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi, journalist and travel writer Richard Grant turns his sharp eye and dry wit toward one of the most historically rich—and paradoxically modern—small towns in the American South. Known for its antebellum mansions, Civil War nostalgia, and deeply rooted traditions, Natchez becomes the backdrop for a narrative that is as bizarre as it is compelling. Grant, a British-born outsider, moves to Natchez and finds himself immersed in a community full of contradictions: extravagant pageants celebrating Confederate history exist alongside deep racial divides and modern progressive ideals. The book shines brightest in its character studies—eccentric aristocrats, determined activists, and passionate preservationists all come to life with vivid detail and humor. What sets this book apart is Grant’s ability to balance cultural critique with affection. He doesn’t romanticize the South, nor does he condemn it outright. Instead, he portrays Natchez as a living, breathing paradox—deeply flawed, undeniably fascinating, and often hilariously self-aware. His writing is observant, nuanced, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Beyond its quirky characters and strange traditions, The Deepest South of All serves as a thoughtful reflection on history, identity, and the stories communities choose to tell about themselves.

Disappointing

Richard Grant usually delivers but this one is a dud.