Tobacco Road

Collins #257 ''Life in the Georgia Hills'' White Circle Pocket Edition, #257

by Erskine Caldwell

Paperback, 192 pages

English language

Published Nov. 14, 1947 by Wm. Collins Sons & Co..

OCLC Number:: 226688755

(6 reviews)

Set during the Great Depression, in the depleted farmlands surrounding Augusta, Georgia, Tobacco Road was first published in 1932. It is the story of the Lesters, a family of white sharecroppers so destitute that most of their creditors have given up on them. Debased by poverty to an elemental state of ignorance and selfishness, the Lesters are preoccupied by their hunger, sexual longings, and fear that they will someday descend to a lower rung on the social ladder than the black families who live near them.

26 editions

Molly Foust reviewed Tobacco road by Erskine Caldwell

Review of 'Tobacco road' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This book is damn hilarious. It is like reality TV from the 1930's, with less frivolity and some desperate, depressing poverty. It is part of the American tradition of books of the land, and you get the whole tragically bucolic scene of Georgia's impoverished tobacco farmers- with sex too! I am not going to speculate as to whether the author had any serious intent behind writing the book, but if you think toothless, ignorant, horny rednecks with hairlips are funny, and you can appreciate a little piece of horrifying and genuine Americana, this short farce of a book is worth a go.