Tomlinson Hill: The Remarkable Story of Two Families Who Share the Tomlinson Name - One White, One Black

by Chris Tomlinson Narrated by David Drummond

Overview

Journalist Chris Tomlinson grew up hearing stories about his family's abandoned cotton plantation in Falls County, Texas. Most of the tales lionized his white ancestors for pioneering along the Brazos River. His grandfather often said the family's slaves loved them so much that they also took Tomlinson as their last name.



LaDainian Tomlinson, football great and former running back for the San Diego Chargers, spent part of his childhood playing on the same land that his black ancestors had worked as slaves. As a child, LaDainian believed that the Hill was named after his family. Not until he was old enough to read a historical plaque did he realize that the Hill was named for his ancestor's slaveholders.



A masterpiece of authentic American history, Tomlinson Hill traces the true and very revealing story of these two families. From the beginning in 1854-when the first Tomlinson, a white woman, arrived-to 2007, when the last Tomlinson, LaDainian's father, left, the book unflinchingly explores the history of race and bigotry in Texas. Along the way, it also manages to disclose a great many untruths that are latent in the unsettling and complex story of America.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

From the Hemingses of Monticello to the Tomlinsons of Tomlinson Hill, family in America has never been as easily defined as the color line of slavery and Jim Crow pretended. Sometimes it takes a reporter to sort out the truth. In the case of Tomlinson Hill, that reporter is one of the best of his generation, and in unraveling the poignant, often painful mystery of his family and those they once owned, Chris Tomlinson applies the same journalistic standards he once brought to the battlefields of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The resulting reconciliation is as moving as it is inspiring.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University

“A personal, unvarnished look at race in America.” —Mark K. Updegrove, presidential historian and author of Baptism By Fire

“A complex story, at times stark but with moments of hope, that offers insights into American race relations.” —Alwyn Barr, author of Black Texans

“A remarkable and essential book of personal and national history, a profound reckoning with the infinite tangles of race and identity along the roots and branches of the American family tree. It is a quietly epic story—spanning centuries—masterfully reconstructed, and memorably told...” —Philip Gourevitch, author of The Ballad of Abu Ghraib

“This book is a rewarding reminder of how a seemingly unremarkable place can be a laboratory for understanding the conflicts at the heart of our national identity. Chris Tomlinson has drilled deep into Tomlinson Hill, and released a gusher of history.” —Stephen Harrigan, author of The Gates of the Alamo

“The author offers not only a detailed history of two families brought together by circumstances greater than themselves; he also opens an honest conversation necessary to begin healing the centuries-old racial rifts that have marred American history…Cleareyed and courageously revealing.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Fast-paced…spellbinding…Tomlinson not only offers an engaging and poignant look into his own past but also a riveting glimpse of the history of race relations in Texas.” —Publishers Weekly

“…an unflinching look at the racial history of one small Texas community…through his meticulous research into not only his ancestors' but also America's past, Tomlinson sets his and LaDainian's very personal narratives within the larger scope of national events… ” —Booklist

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"A personal, unvarnished look at race in America." —Mark K. Updegrove, presidential historian and author of Baptism By Fire

presidential historian and author of Baptism By Fi Mark K. Updegrove

A personal, unvarnished look at race in America.

Henry Louis Gates Jr.

From the Hemingses of Monticello to the Tomlinsons of Tomlinson Hill, family in America has never been as easily defined as the color line of slavery and Jim Crow pretended. Sometimes it takes a reporter to sort out the truth. In the case of Tomlinson Hill, that reporter is one of the best of his generation, and in unraveling the poignant, often painful mystery of his family and those they once owned, Chris Tomlinson applies the same journalistic standards he once brought to the battlefields of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The resulting reconciliation is as moving as it is inspiring.

SEPTEMBER 2014 - AudioFile

In a book as personal as a family genealogy, the writing should be intimate and engaging, yet Tomlinson’s style is somewhat clinical and remote. This makes it difficult for narrator David Drummond to fully engage the listener. Drummond does a solid job. His voice and diction are clear and easy on the ear. And he varies his pacing just enough to keep the material flowing. But he’s never able to overcome the author’s journalistic style. Thus, he’s left sounding more like a news reader than a true narrator. That’s a shame because the book brings history to life in a personal way that doesn’t come through in audio. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170862313
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	09/08/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged

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