Beyond Buffalo

Review in the 3/6/25 edition of Southern Literary Review:

“Beyond Buffalo” by Betsy Reeder

March 6, 2025 by Donna Meredith

Beyond Buffalo by Betsy Reeder takes readers beyond the deaths and physical destruction caused by the Buffalo Creek disaster to explore the long-term psychological impacts on survivors. The Buffalo Creek flood occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, on February 26, 1972, when three coal slurry impoundment dams fail during heavy rainfall, killing 125 and injuring 1,121. Over 4,000 were left homeless. But those are just numbers. Reeder’s extraordinary achievement is to take us inside the shattered life of Ellie, a high school senior.

Beyond Buffalo is the story of Ellie and her family—her mother and father and brother Kenny—and her boyfriend Greg. It is the story of Ellie’s forever-altered life:

“I’m not going to explain how I put my life back together. Three-and-a-half years later, I haven’t. You can’t reassemble al life when its world is gone. That world isn’t coming back, not ever. All I can do is redefine myself and it might take a lifetime.

It’s getting harder and harder to remember who I was anyway. Before. When it was before, none of us knew it. We didn’t have an inkling we lived a temporary sort of existence that could be violently and terrifying ended in the matter of a morning. Far less than a morning, actually.”

Reeder captures Ellie’s terror as she and her family climb a hill frantically trying to escape from a mountain of mud and sludgy water. Every horrifying moment the family they spend stranded without help on that hill builds dread and suspense. Reeder expertly depicts Ellie’s guilt and shame that she couldn’t save her beloved horse or the elderly neighbors she thought of as grandparents. The flood levels entire close-knit communities. Survivors relive the terror as they share the nightmarish moments when they witnessed the deaths of neighbors, unable to save them as they barely clung to life themselves.

Each survivor handles the aftermath differently, some eaten up by guilt, some by venting anger, some by crying, some by trying to bury the memories deep within. The novel shows failed attempts to return to ordinary parts of life like attending a different school and different church. Reeder does an excellent job of revealing the stresses the disaster placed on marriages as homeless families either were crammed into HUD trailers or in relatives’ basements in nearby towns. Worse yet, many of the menfolk were expected to go back to work for the very company, Pittston Coal, whose shoddy work and malfeasance caused the disaster.

Despite the horrors detailed in this story, Reeder offers many moments of hope. Ellie is smart and resilient enough to build a new life. Readers will rejoice when she finds a way to bring her love for horses and art into her world again. There is also a riveting scene of whitewater rafting on the Gauley River as Ellie confronts her crippling fear of drowning. The adventure scene is so well written, readers will vicariously experience the breathtaking raft trip without getting wet.

Beyond Buffalo shares with readers the natural beauty of southern West Virginia, alongside the damage caused by the coal industry. Pittson had declared the dams safe only four days before their failure. This fast-paced novel is a reminder of the dangers of corporate greed and of the need for enforced regulations and inspections by unbiased outsiders. Most of all, it is a journey inside the human psyche, a journey of rebuilding life after unfathomable loss. As humans face continuous disasters caused by a changing climate, the novel offers particularly valuable insights on coping with an increasingly dangerous world.

Betsy Reeder is a retired biologist and college educator, as well as a doting grandma. She is the author of a historical fiction trilogy set in the New River region of West Virginia: Madam’s Creek, Broomstraw Ridge, and Salt in Boiling Water. She is also the author of the Civil-war-era novel Tupper’s Coins and the biography Broadus Unbound.

Madam’s Creek

“In the tradition of New York Times bestseller Cold Mountain, Reeder delivers a richly satisfying  tale set in the hills of what would soon become West Virginia. Madam’s Creek explores the power of love and the sting of betrayal in a land shattered by war. The magnificent landscape of the New River serves as a backdrop for the tender love story of Marcus and Maylene, fully human characters sure to win your hearts.”

–Donna Meredith, author of The Glass Madonna and The Color of Lies

“Betsy Reeder’s Madam’s Creek is real and organic, as if she lived through that time period. The characters feel authentic. The natural world is as it must have been. As one who has also chased authenticity attempting to infuse life into local history, I am in awe.”

–Jon Averill, writer/producer of Averell’s Raiders & the 35th Star and Passing Thru Sandstone

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book; I tend to prefer novels with strong characters and detailed descriptions and Madam’s Creek definitely satisfied those requirements.  Plus, there’s the added bonus of a sense of humor, the historical and geographical context, and the depth of understanding about what war does to people (and not just the soldiers).  Thank you so much for writing it!”

–Shalom Tazewell

The author, Betsy Reeder, was able to create a time and a place in my mind taking me back to life in the 19th century in the mountains of West Virginia. A life that was innocent in childhood with loving families trying to make a living in difficult terrain that were then bombarded with the divisiveness of the civil war. The author very nimbly takes the reader through the complicated paths of people’s hopes and dreams with the reality of what life can offer. A very good read.

–Anne Meadows

P.S. from Betsy–If anyone who read Madam’s Creek enjoyed it and feels so inspired, I am deeply grateful for reviews on Amazon. A million thanks for those willing to put in a plug. On the other hand, if you didn’t like it, I’m equally grateful if you don’t say so. :o) (Same goes for Broomstraw Ridge.)

Broomstraw Ridge

In a sprawling post Civil War sequel to Madam’s Creek, Broomstraw Ridge will transport you to the mountains of southern West Virginia where you will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Lilly family as they marry, raise children, and bury kin—along with their long-held secrets. Reeder shows her talent for weaving together the great and small, the building of railroad bridges alongside clusters of Dutchman’s breeches, the perfect details to ground a story firmly in place and time.

–Donna Meredith, Associate editor of Southern Literary Review and author of The Glass Madonna

The mountains of southern West Virginia, by their rugged nature, are resistant to change.  They breed a certain rough-hewn individualism amongst the people who still cling to the beautiful mountain farms. In Broomstraw Ridge, Betsy Reeder takes us back in time, as we live with, laugh and cry with, people who feel like they must have been the ancestors of those who still know the ways of the hills.

–Jon Averill, writer/producer of Averell’s Raiders & the 35^th Star and Passing Thru Sandstone

Broomstraw Ridge captures the nuances that color life in a post-Civil War family. Reeder brings life to the hills and hollows of West Virginia creating a sense of place that is as much a character as any living person in this intriguing world. Each chapter unfolds deliberately, carefully intertwining characters as she reveals the saga of an Appalachian family facing loss, love, betrayal and the struggle to survive and thrive. Broomstraw Ridge places timeless human struggles and triumphs in a setting so alive the reader can nearly smell the fresh hay, and feel the chill of the first snow in winter.

–M. Lynne Squires, Author of Looking Back at Charleston and Letters to My Son–Reflections on Urban Appalachia at Mid-Century

“…there was mistake…. And there was contrition and regret, and there was confession, absolution and forgiveness, and finally there was reconciliation.  All this human condition that told a powerful story. Really a great read…. It’s one of those kinds of books that sticks with you for a time after you’ve read it, ya know?  And I tell you that because all the time I was reading this book and witnessing the human condition in it, I was thinking, that’s our life, all of our lives. Mistakes, the wrong we do … feeling contrite or depressed …. and then forgiving those around us who have wronged us in one way or another. And mending those broken relationships, reconciling them.” Fr. Stan Holmes, Episcopal Priest

Salt in Boiling Water

Sometimes in our modern life, where so many have so little understanding of history, it is refreshing to venture back into a world that once existed. Salt in Boiling Water is such a time-machine experience. The novel is a captivating coming-of-age story set in another age but in a real place: towns in West Virginia that still exist and bear vestiges of the world in which

Jenny, Caleb, Lila, Otis, and the others come alive.  If you are not familiar with the region, the novel may draw you to visit and experience both the past and present.

–Jon Averill, documentary filmmaker

Salt in Boiling Water is just the escape we need during these trying times. Set in the late 1800s, this historical romance follows Caleb and Jenny as they leave home in search of careers and love. Both gain confidence as they discover their core values and become disillusioned with their attractive suitors—and learn that real love awaits not as far from home as they once thought.

—Donna Meredith, Associate Editor of Southern Literary Review and author of Buried Seeds and other novels

Interview for Southern Literary Review

Donna Meredith Interviews Betsy Reeder, author of “Broadus Unbound”

Donna Meredith Interviews Betsy Reeder, author of “Broadus Unbound”

October 23, 2024 by Donna Meredith Leave a Comment

Summary of Broadus Unbound

Called by the famed Charles Spurgeon “the greatest of living preachers,” John A. Broadus left an indelible signature not only on the Baptist denomination but on a generation. Emerging from the US Civil War as a voice of reason and reconciliation, he traveled, wrote, and tirelessly trained clergy for the urgencies of his time. Compiled by direct descendant Betsy Reeder and based on the words of Broadus and his intimates, Broadus Unbound (Resource Publications 2023) reveals a complex and unforgettable personality, ablaze with unshakable faith and indomitable willpower. The biography includes never-before-published letters preserved for five generations by the family. Combined with other nineteenth-century writings, the result is an unveiling of the man and his world unlike any previously offered.

Interview

Donna Meredith: Betsy, I understand you are a descendant of John Broadus. Could you tell us about your family connection?

Betsy Reeder: John Broadus was my mother’s great-grandfather, which makes him my great-great. He died before Mom was born, but she learned a lot about him from her maternal grandmother, Broadus’s youngest daughter Ella, who lived almost her entire life in Louisville, Kentucky, and maintained a close connection with the Baptist seminary where her father taught. This connection was greatly enhanced by her marriage to a seminary professor, who, as one of my cousin’s put it, “found it convenient to marry his boss’s daughter.”

DM: What else besides the family connection inspired you to write about this man? Please share what you feel are John Broadus’s most significant contributions to American history.

Betsy Reeder

BR: My inspiration came from finding among my mother’s papers a manilla envelope labeled “Miss Lottie Letters.” At that time, I had no idea who “Miss Lottie” was. The letters were courtship letters written by Broadus in 1858. Their passion and eloquence moved me and made me want to know the man who wrote them.

I find it difficult to describe the contributions of John A. Broadus. He was very well known and greatly loved and admired, which gave him a lot of influence. He used that influence to help reunite the North and South after the Civil War. He used it to inspire a generation of Baptist clergy. He used it to publish books and articles of theological commentary.  (Incredibly, his On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons is still in print.) Maybe most importantly, he used it in deeply personal ways that made those around him believe in their potential and strive to improve themselves. Historically speaking, he is known by Baptists as one of the founding fathers of their first seminary in the South, a task far more difficult than I can wrap my head around.

DM: How long did you work on this book?

BR: I can’t give an exact figure, but I worked on it off and on for several years. It didn’t start to come together for me until I was in Covid lockdown (2020).

DM: What research was required for the writing of this story? How much of the material was passed down to you and how much came from outside sources that you had to discover?

BR: A lot of research! I made two trips to Louisville to dig through the Archives (of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). I also used published materials, including two books written by Baptist theologians about Broadus and a biography published in 1901.

In addition to the “Miss Lottie Letters,” I discovered that my mother had saved a stack of “Maria Letters” (courtship letters to John’s first wife) and several other letters. She also saved photographs from the Broadus family album. In addition, I had the great pleasure of getting to know a third cousin (Neal Broadus Abraham) who has an absolute treasure trove of material and was exceptionally generous about sharing.

I’d guess about twenty percent of the material I used was preserved and passed down by the family.

Donna Meredith

DM: Broadus married again after his first wife died, but his letters led me to believe the second marriage was not one of convenience to provide a mother for his children, but rather that he did indeed love Lottie as much as he had Maria. Did his wives share any similarities? Differences?

BR: That’s such an interesting question! Both women were unusually well-educated for their time, and both came from more affluent families than John’s. Both were very proud of their husband. But I think they were more different than alike. Maria’s warmth contrasted with Lottie’s reserve, and Maria was probably much less introverted than Lottie, who always sought opportunities for solitude and books.

DM: Could you talk a little about his loves and his family life?

BR: I would suggest that Broadus’ greatest loves were for God and his faith, for learning, and for his family and friends, in that order. He had a burning desire to be “useful,” which I think was his way of saying “to be of service to God.”

His passion for learning probably bordered on obsession. As an example, he mastered multiple languages beyond Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and he undertook Sanskrit late in life.

Although he adored his wives and children, he didn’t have a lot of time for them. One daughter wrote that Christmas Day was the only day the family had him all to itself. Broadus once wrote Lottie that (I paraphrase) many women had better husbands, but they didn’t have husbands who loved them more than he loved his wife. He did take a great interest in his children’s activities and education, and reportedly would readily set aside his work to address his children’s questions. One daughter commented, though, that when that rare moment came to ask her father some weighty question she could hardly bear to interrupt his few minutes of peace.

DM: Even though he was a fine upstanding man, I would have found it difficult to be married to him. What challenges do you think his wives faced?

BR: The biggest challenge was probably his absence. He traveled constantly and also served as a chaplain during the Civil War. If he wasn’t giving a talk, he was supplying a pulpit or visiting far-flung family. At home he was greatly absorbed with study and a perpetual flow of visitors. He also suffered illnesses throughout his life, which surely burdened his wives with extra work. Also, for the sake of the Seminary, he turned down many job offers that would have enriched his family. Poverty was the result for many years.

Another challenge, and one I would struggle with, was Broadus’s perfectionist nature. As he put it apologetically in a letter to Lottie, he tended to be “exacting.” He set extremely high standards of behavior for himself and his children. How much those expectations extended to his wives, I’m not sure. He did, in one letter, urge Lottie to pamper herself.

DM: In early chapters, the book contains some letters from his daughter Carrie, but you write that she is not mentioned in many written sources about Broadus. Do you have any theories as to why Carrie disappeared from history? Any clues as to what happened to her?

BR: Oh, poor Carrie! It took me a few years to discover her fate, which I learned from a newspaper clipping my cousin Neal provided. She lived most of her life in a “sanitorium” and died when that institution burned in the 1930s. I believe she was erased from the family history due to shame about her mental illness. It’s also possible she had an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, but that’s pure speculation.

DM: How horrifying! Your speculation could be right. I have read several accounts of women being confined to asylums for reasons like that. Could you tell us a little about John Broadus’s other offspring. Did any go on to make significant contributions like their father?

BR: John Broadus fathered ten children, seven of whom lived to adulthood. None of them were “known” the way their father was, but they were all highly educated and energetic. Sam, the oldest son, established a number of banks in northern Alabama. Sadly, the other son, Boyce, died soon after he married and just before the birth of his first child. The oldest daughter, Eliza, never married and devoted herself to her family and Baptist activities. Annie died in her early forties. Alice raised five children, one of whom taught at Johns Hopkins and ran for Maryland’s governorship as a Socialist. He and some of his siblings were strong proponents of civil rights. Ella also raised five children and produced some published works. Bizarrely, both Eliza and Ella died after being struck by vehicles at the same Louisville intersection, years apart.

DM: What a strange coincidence! Truth that is stranger than fiction! Did anything surprise you as you explored the life of Broadus?

BR: I was greatly struck by several things. One was how much John Broadus was loved. People from all walks of life revered and adored him. He was friends with a rabbi, a famous scientist, John D. Rockefeller. He wrote many letters to a female friend in whom he confided. He would be baffled and dismayed by today’s societal fractures.

Another was his support of slavery for more than half his life. How could anyone so kind-hearted support slavery? it took a long time for Broadus to renounce the institution, even though he was always active in the Black community, once saying he enjoyed preaching to Black congregations more than White ones. He worked hard for the education of Blacks after the Civil War and spoke out strongly against the KKK.

I was also struck by how much my mother reflected her great grandfather. She shared his passion for learning, his willingness to be outspoken, his unfailing optimism, and his commitment to tireless service. She shared his love of flowers. She used some of his expressions, and she punished herself with her perfectionist tendencies.  I don’t think that’s DNA—that’s influence.

DM: How different was this book to write from your historical fiction series?  (Madam’s Creek (2017), Broom straw Ridge (2019), and Salt in Boiling Water (2021) (Read SLR’s interview with Betsy about this series here, as well as Tupper’s Coins (2023)? Was it easier or harder?

Much harder, even though I did a lot more compiling than actual writing. Writing novels, including ones that require a lot of research, is such great fun. I can’t say this was, especially when it came to citations. Broadus Unbound began as something I wanted to do for my extended family, namely the many descendants. This focus made it hard for me to omit letters that might well have been excluded for a wider audience. Those kinds of choices bothered me all the way through. I’ve said, “Never again!” to nonfiction, and I expect to stick with it.

Thank you, Donna!

DM: Thank you, Betsy, for sharing a little about your important historical research into the life on an important Southern Baptist minister.