Based on true stories from South-Central Florida when it was still a wild frontier State—before orange groves, Disney World, and tourism--Crackers in Paradise is an epic tale about seven generations of a Cracker Florida family from 1843 to 1990. It seeks to dispel many myths and misunderstandings about Florida Crackers—original white settlers to rural Florida. Crackers begins with the story of Reverend Tom Branch and his wife Louisa struggling to survive in the wild scrublands of Central Florida with their five beautiful daughters. After Tom’s untimely death, Louisa defends her family against cattle rustlers and a jealous brother-in-law by relying her grit and sharp shooting skills as well as on Cotton, a Black Seminole Indian who is a fixture on their farm and in their lives.
Crackers focuses largely on the women in Louisa’s family as they move from frontier to city life in the small, but ambitious booming town of Wauchula. Louisa’s new home is in the heart of the thriving citrus, cattle, and agricultural industries of Central Florida, but is a far cry from the wild, peaceful, native Florida landscapes she grew up in and loved. Now, she and her family either adapt to or fail in this small-town’s social world and ever-changing political and business dramas.
Time moves forward and Louisa’s daughters marry into prominent Wauchula commercial families. Effie, one of the most beautiful and intelligent daughters, marries an up and coming young businessman, Homer Rainey. From the turn of the century through the 1920s, Homer rides the emerging boom in land and farming speculation but is traumatized by twin tragedies.
The next generations struggle through the Great Depression and WWII with infidelities, alcoholism, and brushes with the law. But, through all these misfortunes, the women, such as Homer’s daughter, Bonita Rainey Swann, preserve the family structure and pride with their grit and determination.
As Florida historian and ethnologist Dana Ste. Claire has observed, a history of Florida Crackers is an essential, indeed a foundational history of the whole state. On a personal note, the author examines critically how, as a white Southerner, he and his siblings struggled all of their lives to erase the pernicious diseases of racism and religious bigotry inculcates to them by older family members who loved them and whom they loved.
Crackers focuses largely on the women in Louisa’s family as they move from frontier to city life in the small, but ambitious booming town of Wauchula. Louisa’s new home is in the heart of the thriving citrus, cattle, and agricultural industries of Central Florida, but is a far cry from the wild, peaceful, native Florida landscapes she grew up in and loved. Now, she and her family either adapt to or fail in this small-town’s social world and ever-changing political and business dramas.
Time moves forward and Louisa’s daughters marry into prominent Wauchula commercial families. Effie, one of the most beautiful and intelligent daughters, marries an up and coming young businessman, Homer Rainey. From the turn of the century through the 1920s, Homer rides the emerging boom in land and farming speculation but is traumatized by twin tragedies.
The next generations struggle through the Great Depression and WWII with infidelities, alcoholism, and brushes with the law. But, through all these misfortunes, the women, such as Homer’s daughter, Bonita Rainey Swann, preserve the family structure and pride with their grit and determination.
As Florida historian and ethnologist Dana Ste. Claire has observed, a history of Florida Crackers is an essential, indeed a foundational history of the whole state. On a personal note, the author examines critically how, as a white Southerner, he and his siblings struggled all of their lives to erase the pernicious diseases of racism and religious bigotry inculcates to them by older family members who loved them and whom they loved.
Tom describes his new book:
Crackers in Paradise narrates the complex, multigenerational history of a Florida family from 1843 to 1990. It focuses largely on the women in that family as they transitioned from country life on the wild South-Central Florida frontier to city life in the small but ambitious boomer town of Wauchula, the author’s hometown and a major agricultural and shipping center for vegetables, citrus, and cattle. The narrative describes how family members, male and female, adapted or failed to adapt to the ever-changing economic, social, and environmental landscape of South-Central Florida during the late eighteenth and most of the nineteenth century. They were faced with swift change they often opposed or did not understand. The author, scion of this family and thus a genuine Florida Cracker, also seeks to describe what a Cracker is and is not and to dispel some of the mythologies and misunderstandings about this (sometimes justifiably) pejorative designation of “plain white” native Floridians. As Florida historian and ethnologist Dana Ste. Claire has observed, a history of Florida Crackers is an essential, indeed a foundational history of the whole state. In a personal sense, the author critically examines how, as white Southerners, he and his siblings have struggled all of their lives to expunge from their sorry souls the pernicious diseases of racism and religious bigotry that were inculcated in them by older family members who loved them and whom they loved.
More comments about the author and book:
First impressions are often lasting. In September 1990, Tom was part inheritor of his grandfather Homer B. Rainey's house in Wauchula. Homer was a man of parts and consequence with a reputation of being a bit distant from his family. After his passing in 1960, the residence passed on to Tom's Aunt Bonita, greatly beloved by her many nieces and nephews. As Tom’s sisters and wife cleared the house in preparation for sale Tom began reading through an archive of family records, letters, and photographs. Taken together, it inspired this family history. Tom's decision to take on such a task came at a time when he was most prepared for it. He had learned the historian's craft at two major universities and had honed it through years of teaching and scholarship. Nor was his fascination with Russian culture misplaced. I have on occasion thought that other great parallels and comparisons between Russia and aspects of the American South.
When Tom began considering his history, he expected to focus upon Cracker women. For over six generations a succession of strong women remained the "most outspoken defenders of our family values, reputation, pride, and Cracker heritage." He changed his focus somewhat through becoming acquainted with some accomplished men. An early and compelling chapter was the marriage of Louisa Alderman Branch and Thomas Austin Branch and their five daughters. They were part of the free-range cattle industry that figures prominently in the Florida frontier.
One of the daughters, Effie, married well, to an ambitious young man named Homer Rainey. The author's discovery of Effie's photograph is a particularly affecting part of the story. His account of life in Wauchula, his own and his relatives, is a mix of good times and bad, of failures and insecurities. Drinking was a destructive force in his family most notably with his parents. He had to overcome an inbred racial and religious bigotry, not a rarity in the Jim Crow South. He was also blessed with a number of talented and sensitive teachers, more appreciated in retrospect.
I have cherished my friendship with Tom Rainey and have been pleased to add my poor mote to his compelling story.
John T. Hubbell (AKA Watash)
Professor Emeritus of History, Kent State University
Director Emeritus of Kent State University Press
Kent, Ohio
When Tom began considering his history, he expected to focus upon Cracker women. For over six generations a succession of strong women remained the "most outspoken defenders of our family values, reputation, pride, and Cracker heritage." He changed his focus somewhat through becoming acquainted with some accomplished men. An early and compelling chapter was the marriage of Louisa Alderman Branch and Thomas Austin Branch and their five daughters. They were part of the free-range cattle industry that figures prominently in the Florida frontier.
One of the daughters, Effie, married well, to an ambitious young man named Homer Rainey. The author's discovery of Effie's photograph is a particularly affecting part of the story. His account of life in Wauchula, his own and his relatives, is a mix of good times and bad, of failures and insecurities. Drinking was a destructive force in his family most notably with his parents. He had to overcome an inbred racial and religious bigotry, not a rarity in the Jim Crow South. He was also blessed with a number of talented and sensitive teachers, more appreciated in retrospect.
I have cherished my friendship with Tom Rainey and have been pleased to add my poor mote to his compelling story.
John T. Hubbell (AKA Watash)
Professor Emeritus of History, Kent State University
Director Emeritus of Kent State University Press
Kent, Ohio