Q&A
MEET THE AUTHOR
DON BUCHANAN is a
lifelong native of Cobb
County, but his fondest
memories were formed
on his grandparents’
farm in the Appalachian
foothills of North
Georgia. A love of
genealogy led to the
discovery of his family
roots in western North
Carolina, and was the
inspiration for his first
novel, “Counting Souls.”
“Counting Souls” is
a historical novel set in
the mountains of
western North Carolina in 1830. Isaiah is an enslaved
person torn from his family on Monticello after Thomas
Jefferson’s death. Jim Locust is a Cherokee Indian caught
in the clash of cultures. Tom Love is a troubled farmer on
the North Carolina frontier in charge of the 1830 Macon
County federal census. Together, these men face life and
death in the beauty of the Smoky Mountains, and
grapple with the true meaning of freedom.
Buchanan is a graduate of Pebblebrook High School
and Georgia State University. He retired after thirty-one
years as a corporate real estate manager to pursue his
dream of becoming a writer.
He married his high school sweetheart, Stephanie
Buchanan, forty years ago, and together they have two
children, Shelby and Connor, and two granddaughters,
Laine and Dylan. When he’s not writing or taking Laine
on adventures, Buchanan enjoys golf, gardening and
genealogy.
Cobb Life Editor Madison Hogan asked Buchanan to
share some of his insights as a writer and talked the nitty
gritty about finding inspiration in what he loves, going
back to our roots and storytelling.
CL: How did the idea for “Counting Souls” come about?
DB: My grandfather was my hero. I loved sitting on the porch
of his mountain farm house, listening to family stories. He was
proud of his western North Carolina ancestors, who opposed
slavery and fought for the Union. I found them on the 1830
census in Macon County, North Carolina. It occurred to me
that one man, the U.S. Census taker, met all of them, and
would have had a unique view of the people and times. You
need conflict for a good story, and there was no shortage of
conflict in the southern Appalachians in this period. The
Cherokee were being pressed by white settlers, with the Trail
of Tears looming. Slavery was expanding, and the settlers
were bitterly divided over the issue. The job of census taker
was difficult and dangerous, and at the same time, an
adventure. His journey would be the focus of my novel.
CL: What separates this book from other pieces you’ve
written? What connects it?
DB: This is my first novel. I retired in 2016, after thirty-one
years as a corporate real estate manager, writing real estate
contracts and business cases. They were the polar opposite of
literature, although my finance manager may have viewed
some of the rosier scenarios as fiction. I’ve always loved
novels, especially historical fiction, and it’s a dream come true
to be able to dedicate the time to research and write about
people and places that resonate with me.
CL: What can readers expect from “Counting Souls”?
DB: When I first tell people my book is about a census taker in
1830, I see their eyes glaze over and fear I’m losing them. But
the story is really about families. It’s about people living on the
frontier, surrounded by the glory of the mountains, but
struggling to survive. It’s about white settlers, African-
American, and Native Americans living side by side, each
group trying to retain their humanity against seemingly
insurmountable forces. Readers can expect to be transported
to a time and place very different from our own, but they will
recognize the roots of many of our modern problems. They
will meet characters they come to care deeply about. There is
heartache leavened with humor, adventure and some
surprising plot twists. I think they will find it a compelling story.
CL: How does inspiration strike you?
DB: When I started the book, I had no idea how it would
unfold. A lot of writers have outlines and see the arc of their
story from the beginning. I love books that take me on a
journey. I decided I should enjoy writing a book as much as I
enjoy reading one, so I let it unfold. I would sit in my swing in
the backyard and imagine how a character would behave,
how they would talk, what would be important to them. As
much as possible, I tried to imagine being them. It was
challenging, and humbling, to try and imagine how an
By MADISON HOGAN
56 COBB LIFE | DECEMBER 2021