Prolific novelist Lawrence Earl Gulley has deep roots in Wilcox County

Lawrence Gulley with his new book.

Prolific Alabama writer Lawrence Earl Gulley recently published his 16^th novel, and I know it will be of interest to many readers in Wilcox County, especially in the Furman area.

Gulley’s latest novel, “The Pioneers,” hit the streets earlier this month and tells the story of “Henry Smith and his brother, James, who made the arduous journey from Duplin County, North Carolina, to South Alabama in 1823. They faced numerous hardships including crossing Goshen Swamp, the threat of Indian attacks, the difficulty of building a homestead from scratch, including planting crops and building their cabins by hand, and much more. With hard work, faith and determination, they managed to carve out a life in spite of all obstacles. Their many descendants continue their traditions in their own lives and homes, all over the American South. The same core values exhibited by these dynamic pioneers continue to fuel the hopes and dreams of Americans everywhere.”

“The Pioneers” is 295 pages long and specifically mentions places like Wilcox County and Camden as well as the Alabama River, Monroeville, Fort Claiborne and other locations in Southwest Alabama. Mentions of Wilcox County and Camden in the book should come as no surprise because Gulley has deep ancestral roots in Wilcox County. Lawrence is a direct descendant of the Gulley family who constructed the antebellum home known as “Wakefield” at Furman in the 1840s.

Sources say that Lawrence’s pioneer ancestor John Gulley began construction of this unique “Steamboat Gothic” style house in 1840, and it took seven years to complete. John Gulley, who suffered financial reverses in the 1840s, eventually sold the house to his brother, Henry, who later passed it on to his daughter, Laura. This beautiful home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, contains 12 rooms, 12 fireplaces, porches on all sides and 6,000-square feet of living space.

Lawrence lives in the small town of Excel in Monroe County, and he is considered one of Monroe County’s most prolific writers. His previous books include “Cora Jean (2016),” “Peanut House (2017),” “Buffington (2017),” “Bessie’s Story (2018),” “Redtown (2018),” “Bayou County (2018),” “Brothers (2018),” “Green Briar (2018),” “The Tangled Road Home (2019),” “Layton (2019),” “The Killing of Lois Hardee (2019),” “Sweet Liberty (2020),” “Alyssa Madison (2021),” “Wisteria (2022)” and “Skeeter (2022).” If you’ve never read any of these books, I recommend that you start with “Cora Jean,” which is getting attention from movie producers in New York and Hollywood.

Longtime fans of Lawrence’s novels have most likely read all of the books above, but have no fear. Lawrence is already hard at work on his next novel. If it’s as good as his previous books, then his loyal fans have a lot to look forward to. All of Lawrence’s books are available for purchase on Amazon, but you can also pick them up at the gift shop at the Old Monroe County Courthouse in downtown Monroeville.