“Palmetto Pioneers: The Emigrants” wins gold medals

Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.

Local author Cindy Roe Littlejohn was honored with three awards from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association for her book, “Palmetto Pioneers: The Emigrants.” At an official awards ceremony at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace on Aug. 3, the association presented its 2024 President’s Book Awards, three of which went to the first book in Littlejohn’s “Palmetto Pioneers” series. “The Emigrants” received a gold medal in the history category, a gold medal in the biography category and a silver medal for her niece Hannah McDonald Dryka’s cover design. Littlejohn will present another silver medal to artist Susan Rissman for her watercolor landscape used to create the cover.
According to FAPA, “the selection is a testament to the skill and talent of the author and cover designer.”
In addition to the FAPA recognition, The Emigrants received the Independent Publishers Bronze Medal for Nonfiction in the Southeast.
“After I finished my first book,” Littlejohn recalls, “I had to remind myself that it might not be well received and therefore not read. But receiving these awards has really exceeded all my expectations. It means so much to me to know that others think the book is worthy.”
The Palmetto Pioneers series is a nonfiction narrative of the author’s ancestral experiences that began in 1829 when her Walker family relatives moved to the part of Florida that would become Jefferson County. Book 1, The Emigrants, published in 2022, follows the life of Mary Adeline Walker in a frontier country where she experiences an Indian war and a brutal natural landscape. The narrative of this volume spans from the Second Seminole War to Florida statehood in 1845. Book 2, From Harmony to Hostility, just published in March 2024, continues Mary’s true story as she grows up, marries a lawman, and raises her blended family through economic hardship. As this book nears its end, the Civil War begins. A third book is planned to conclude the series.
The Palmetto Pioneers series of books are available throughout the region from Monticello to Thomasville and Tallahassee. Copies are available locally at the Monticello-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce (420 W. Washington St.) and Vintage Treasures (110 E. Dogwood St.). Other stores that carry the series include The Bookshelf in Thomasville and Hearth and Soul, Midtown Books and My Favorite Books in Tallahassee. Kindle and print versions are also available at Amazon.com.
Cindy Roe Littlejohn is married, mother of three, and grandmother of seven grandchildren. She is an author, blogger, retired agricultural/environmental lobbyist, and managing partner of Roe Sisters Tree Farms.
For more information about Littlejohn and her books, visit www.PalmettoPioneers.com, where you’ll find links to her Facebook page and Instagram posts.