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Witness the story of a prominent white family who adopted an African American boy at the beginning of the 1900s
February 18, 2022

  central pike by robert joe martin
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Robert Joe Martin has always been an observer of human nature and has vivid memories of events that happened during the time that he grew up on Central Pike, Tennessee. He wanted to record this in a fictional story of the times he knew about and heard about which led him to write Central Pike (published by Xlibris), a fictionalized account of a prominent white family who adopted an African American baby in the early 1900s.

This book is about the Quartermains, a prominent white family in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee who ran a dairy, and were very prosperous were considered the upper crust of the community. They were pillars of their community, and were looked on with great, warmth and respect. It was baffling to many families as to why they would adopt a Black child and raise it as one of their own. Out of respect, this kind of talk was always behind closed doors. There were those who said they knew why, but would not say.






This story follows the growth of the Black child along with the other Quartermain children, as well as the lives of many neighbors, and friends as they lived through the Great Depression, and the Great Wars, while coping with the many problems and mishaps that they encountered in their daily lives. The glaring question that remains unanswered until the very end, was, “Who was the white man that took advantage of the young black woman, and fathered this black baby that was raised as a son by the Quartermains?”

“This is not only the story of this one family but of many individuals who have interesting lives full of conflict, pain, suffering, as well as joy. With this story, I hope to give readers a feeling of warmth of family life,” Martin says.

About the Author
Robert Joe Martin grew up on a farm on Central Pike in rural Middle Tennessee where he milked cows, raised corn and hay and assisted in running the Martin family retail grocery and dry goods market. After graduating from Mt. Juliet High School, he served in the U.S. Navy for four years. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in the sciences. He has published several scientific articles on the analysis of various drugs, most notably LSD. He is widely known for his chocolate and coconut custard meringue pies, which he makes from scratch, winning blue ribbons consecutive years at the Tennessee State Fair. He is a recognized watercolor artist. His paintings have a prominent place in many homes and businesses throughout the United States, as well as in Japan, France and England. He lives with his wife Sally on a farm in North Carolina.





















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