Yes, Cane River was a ground-breaking book that exposed the world to those "marginal" people in Louisiana. That was Tademy's maternal side. I read earlier this year, Red River, which is again a fictionalized history of her paternal side. In an appearance in San Francisco this past summer, she said that her books are based on real people and names in her family and many of the events happened and the fiction comes in with her imagining how it happened.

I agree with George. Her documentation in both books included charts, documents, pictures. She did extensive research for both books.