RED CLAY
WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK
An astounding multigenerational saga, Red Clay chronicles the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War ends and Reconstruction begins.
In 1943, when a frail old white woman shows up in Red Clay, Alabama, at the home of a Black former slave–on the morning following his funeral–his family hardly knows what to expect after she utters the words “… a lifetime ago, my family owned yours.” Adelaide Parker has a story to tell–one of ambition, betrayal, violence,
WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK
An astounding multigenerational saga, Red Clay chronicles the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War ends and Reconstruction begins.
In 1943, when a frail old white woman shows up in Red Clay, Alabama, at the home of a Black former slave–on the morning following his funeral–his family hardly knows what to expect after she utters the words “… a lifetime ago, my family owned yours.” Adelaide Parker has a story to tell–one of ambition, betrayal, violence, and redemption–that shaped both the fate of her family and that of the late Felix H. Parker.
But there are gaps in her knowledge, and she’s come to Red Clay seeking answers from a family with whom she shares a name and a history that neither knows in full. In an epic saga that takes us from Red Clay to Paris, to the Côte d’Azur and New Orleans, human frailties are pushed to their limits as secrets are exposed and the line between good and evil becomes ever more difficult to discern. Red Clay is a tale that deftly lays bare the ugliness of slavery, the uncertainty of the final months of the Civil War, the optimism of Reconstruction, and the pain and frustration of Jim Crow.
With a vivid sense of place and a cast of memorable characters, Charles B. Fancher draws upon his own family history to weave a riveting tale of triumph over adversity, set against a backdrop of societal change and racial animus that reverberates in contemporary America. Through seasons of joy and unspeakable pain, Fancher delivers rich moments as allies become enemies, and enemies–to their great surprise–find new respect for each other.
- Blackstone Publishing
- Paperback
- January 2026
- 336 Pages
- 9798228588646
Buy the Book
$19.99
About Charles B Fancher
Charles B. Fancher is the author of the award-winning novel, Red Clay, an editor, and a former senior corporate communications executive for The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He has also worked as a journalist for The Inquirer and the Detroit Free Press. Fancher was previously a member of the School of Communications faculty at Howard University and the adjunct faculty at Temple University. He lives in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.
Praise
“Red Clay features a firmly realized sense of place, complicated characters, and an unflinching honesty about both the joys and horrors they all experience. Your book club will definitely read this.” —Paste
“Red Clay is a family history, at once deeply personal and universal in its appeal for justice, truth, and the inviolable dignity that is the birthright of every human being.” —Bill Rivers, author of Last Summer Boys
“Red Clay [is] a powerful and evocative historical family saga that brings the stark reality of transitioning from enslavement to independence in the late nineteenth century to palpable, vibrant life…Full of passion and heart.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“[Fancher] weaves an epic saga of friendship, betrayal, violence, and redemption that takes readers from Alabama and Paris to New Orleans…Red Clay is among the most anticipated historical fiction works of 2025.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
“A briskly paced, deftly plotted tale…Fancher’s attention to the sensory details of agrarian life is among the pleasures of reading Red Clay.” —Peggy Burch for Chapter 16