Aila's Journal: A Tale of Southern Reconstruction

by Charles M Clemmons

Relive the story of two young women, one White, one Black, as they struggle for survival, dignity, and purpose against the tide of history in the late nineteenth century. Aila’s Journal tells the story of Aila MacKenzie, a White indentured servant, and Mary Jane Sanders, a Black slave, who meet at age thirteen on a small farm near Wilmington, North Carolina. The Civil War has left the South, the community, and personal lives in shambles. Jubilation over the emancipation of the slaves had been replaced by oppression, discrimination, hatred, and violence directed toward Blacks and their sympathizers. The two women struggle together with hardships during the war and Reconstruction into the Jim Crow era, culminating in the 1898 race riot and coup d’état in Wilmington. Through their shared experiences, they become lifelong friends. For the author, Aila’s Journal is a work of introspection, the primary purpose of which is to encourage examination of history's relevance to our values today. As such, publication and sale will be on a not-for-profit basis.

Genres: Historical Fiction

314 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2023

About the author

Charles M. Clemmons was born at home in the countryside near Clayton, North Carolina, on what is now a state forest. Growing up in the American South, working on his father's farm, and exploring 300 acres of forest accompanied solely by his faithful dog Snowball, proved to be formative life experiences.

He received an engineering degree from NC State University in 1966; an MBA from the University of Connecticut in 1976; and an AAS degree in Film & Video Technology from North Lake College in Irving, Texas, in 1994. In his 27-year career in the corporate world, he traveled extensively and resided in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Connecticut, and Texas.

Retiring from a corporate career in telecommunications in 1994 at age 50, he refocused on his real passions: documentary filmmaking, photography, being a father to his three children, and discovering the history and lifeways of his parents' families in Brunswick County, North Carolina.
In 2004, he was awarded two Boston/New England Emmy® Awards (writing and production) for the American Public Television documentary, Mystic Voices: The Story of the Pequot War. After 40 years in Connecticut, Charles returned to his roots in North Carolina in 2015.

His inspiration for Aila's Journal came from his own experiences and aspirations growing up in the American South, his own family's oral history, and his research on the Civil War and Southern Reconstruction.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about the historical period during the civil war, reconstruction and a bit after as experienced by families living near Wilmington, NC. Clemmons does not flinch from the horror of the time while offering a deeply respectful narration of the experience of a close knit group of families who tried to survive during this very trying and shameful part of our ongoing history. The author offers nuggets of history lessons throughout providing context to the lives depicted in the novel. A very tragic story that left me both despairing about our capacity for terrorizing one another and simultaneously in awe of the strength and wisdom that allows some to persevere. I found the story gripping, so much so I had a hard time putting the book aside to persevere in my own little life. Thanks for writing this story.

[Lynn Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully crafted, sometimes heartbreaking, story of two women dealing with the struggles of life in rural North Carolina during and following the Civil War. The descriptive writing allows the reader to truly visualize the joys, sorrows, and challenges of everyday life while learning about the late days of the Civil War and the challenges facing the South in the years following.

[Sueb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read--kept me coming back. Seemed much of it was repetitive, however. Same situation, different characters. Did not enjoy the ending.