“With a storyteller's eye for significant detail and a clear and engaging writing style, Allen describes the pragmatic rural black nationalism that defined the lives of so many sharecropping families and the backbreaking toil and near third-world conditions to which they were subjected in the southern Alabama of the 1960s. The reality of Allen's account knocks the wind out of the reader, yet the humorous tales sprinkled throughout allow it to be reflective without being somber.”—The Journal of Southern History
“This is a wonderful memoir. . . . Allen’s writing displays the creativity African Americans demonstrated in getting by and the texture of their relationships with each other. It also shows how traditional aspects of rural life remained visible even amidst the trappings of modern life. Her story feels timeless. . . . It is just a plain good read.”
—Lisa Lindquist Dorr, author of White Women, Rape, the Power of Race in Virginia, 1900–1960
“Not since Theodore Rosengarten’s All God’s Dangers has there been such a moving and detailed narrative of rural black life. But in the case of Allen’s The Pecan Orchard, the experience is directly related by the one who lived it rather than filtered through the sensibilities of a white Ivy Leaguer.
"Perhaps the most important quality of any memoir is its voice. Many people have compelling stories to tell, but there are few who can deliver them well. The Pecan Orchard is notably successful in this regard. Allen’s method of narration is simple and direct, wholly without artifice. It also possesses a quiet authority and confidence that are thoroughly captivating.
“The Pecan Orchard is a memorable read and altogether one of the best Alabama books this year.”—Mobile Press-Register
