{Book Review} Patents, Plows, and Persistence: The Legacy of Napoleon Gallien Jr and the Family Whose Faith Tilled the Soil by Dr. Dr. Geralyn Janice

I remember when Dr. Janice first came to me and told me that she was planning to write a book about her great uncle, Napoleon Gallien Jr, aka NAP.  Her excitement was palpable. Every time our paths crossed, I found myself waiting, expectantly, for an update. Every shared detail brimming with awe tinged with disbelief. And, when she posted that her book was live on Amazon, I clicked the link and made the purchase. I even shared a video on Instagram of myself with highlighter and pen in hand, ready to take notes. And, today, I share my review for my friend, who shares my passion for history, genealogy, and education.

BOOK DETAILS

Title: Patents, Plows, and Persistence: The Legacy of Napoleon Gallien Jr and the Family Whose Faith Tilled the Soil

Author: Dr. Geralyn A Janice

Publication Date: 23 September 2025

Genre: Biography, Black and African American History, Southern U.S. Biographies

Format: Paperback

Pages: 441

ABOUT THE BOOK (from the book)

Napoleon Gallien Jr. was a student at Southern University A & M College when he died in his dorm room. He was an inventor. He was brilliant and buried by history. You should know his name. But chances are, you don’t.

In the heart of Louisiana, where the soil is rich and the history even richer, lies the untold story of Napoleon Gallien Jr. Born into a world where the echoes of slavery still lingered, Napoleon’s journey is one of resilience, innovation, and unyielding determination. From the fields of the Plaquemine Point Community to the halls of Southern University, his life was a testament to the power of ingenuity and the enduring spirit of a family deeply rooted in their land and faith.

This book is a reclamation of history. Woven through personal narrative and cultural reflection, it shines a light on the New Farmers of America (NFA), a once-vital organization created for Black agricultural students during segregation. Long overshadowed by its successor, the FFA, the NFA trained young men in leadership, dignity, and vocational excellence; yet its story remains largely untold.

Set against the backdrop of rural Louisiana, the book also explores the lived experience of faith, family, and survival in communities like Plaquemine Point in Lawtell, Louisiana. Through archival research, oral history, and poetic storytelling, it honors the legacy of those who built futures from the soil up. It invites readers to remember what history tried to forget.

Join Dr. Geralyn A. Janice as she unearths the forgotten chapters of her great-uncle’s life, revealing a story of innovation, family, and the relentless pursuit of progress. “Patents, Plows, and Persistence” is not just a biography; it’s a tribute to the enduring power of legacy and the unbreakable bonds that tie us to our past. It’s a captivating narrative, woven with meticulous research and heartfelt storytelling, bringing to light the remarkable achievements of a man whose inventions and agricultural advancements left an indelible mark on his community and beyond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from the book)

Dr. Geralyn Janice is the recipient of the Outstanding Research in Education Award from the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development at Northwestern State University. A proud Louisiana native, her upbringing in a military family gave her the opportunity to travel the world, shaping a rich and inclusive cultural perspective.

Adult Education opened the door to her deeper purpose: advancing Career Technical Education as a means to widen opportunity, empower every learner, and nurture the growth of resilient communities.

Despite her accolades, Dr. Janice remains grounded in humility — often describing herself as “just a little girl who started her life in a rural community who was blessed with big opportunities.”

BOOK REVIEW

The Cover Art

The photograph on the cover is of Napoleon Gallien Jr aka NAP, a distinguished gentleman, whose intense gaze leaps off the cover, inviting you to learn his story. His stylish suit not giving any hint of the man who spent his days alternately working in the fields or pouring over inventions intended to make farm life easier {less painful} for human and animal.

I always find these old sepia images intriguing, especially the ones of African Americans, because few households took pictures the way we do today. So I always wonder who was behind the lens and how did they convince their subjects to sit for the photos. And, importantly, what was the subject thinking about while the picture was being made.

Scattered throughout this book are pictures of Dr. Janice’s family. Photos of family members no longer here, animals in the fields, buildings standing solitary against a vast sky. These images are treasures and further proof that those people and places existed.

The Book

This meticulously researched book started with a simple conversation between mother and daughter, a conversation that led to a search for answers buried in archives, old newspapers, and the deep recesses of memory.

Like many stories, NAP’s doesn’t begin nor end with him. It began with his father, an illiterate man who demonstrated incredible tenacity, managing to buy, secure, and pass down land to his family during some of the most tumultuous times in American history. This remarkable personal narrative is interwoven with broader threads of American history, unique Louisiana culture, and enduring religious doctrine. Dr. Janice was able to document the respect her great grandfather had garnered within both the Black and white communities surrounding the family farm. It is from his father, that NAP developed his sense of purpose and devotion to God, family, and land.

I keep wanting to call NAP, a farm worker, but he was so much more than that, he was a student, an innovator, and an educator. He had his feet firmly rooted in the family land, but his ambitions reached far beyond the familial home. While working on the family farm, NAP sought a more humane way to remove the rings from his family’s hogs and pigs without harming their snouts. His efforts led him to invent and patent a ring removal device for pig and hog snouts, which in turn led to the invention/modification of tools used by veterinarians, surgeons, and jewelers.

It was while researching this patent that Dr. Janice began to piece together life of her great uncle and to discover the many ways that our lives our shaped by forces known and unknown. Dr. Janice notes so many “glimmers” within the lives of her family, past and present, that it’s difficult to explain away as mere coincidence. For example, her brother, a master electrician and owner of Gallien Electric uses a tool that is a derivative of their great uncle’s invention. An occurrence he knew nothing about until Dr. Janice wrote her book.

I came away from my reading of Patents, Plows, and Persistence with two thoughts:

1. There are easily two more stories in this book:  the life and educational impact of Mrs. Agnes Jones Janice, Dr, Janice’s paternal grandmother, longs to be told and the experiences of Dr. Janice’s father during his military service. Another idea would be a children’s picture book about NAP and his invention.
2. We all long for connection to our past, as this explains our present and informs our futures. A simple twist of fate — the flutter of butterfly wings — and one’s very existence might never be.

While Dr. Janice’s mother lost her uncle to an untimely death, his passing gave her a life she might not have otherwise had. And it is through that life that NAP’s legacy lives on in the family who came after, who carried his love of agriculture, education, and service through their chosen professions.

NAP, once lost, has been found.

My Favorite Quote

This experience has reached into places I didn’t know needed tending. It’s not just about uncovering history – it’s about reclaiming pieces of my family, of myself, and stitching together the memory, identity, and belonging in ways that have changed my entire being.

Page 396

Final Thoughts

I’ve been inspired to dig deeper into my family history. I need to learn more about my family history before my elders are no longer here to share their memories. I’ve done some basic work using Ancestry.com and my dad’s sisters have shared a few recollections here and there, but nothing formal. A few years ago, a gentleman contacted me and said he had documents showing that one of my ancestors sued one of his ancestors for her freedom and that of her children and won. By the time I saw the message, a few years had passed and I didn’t get the opportunity to follow up. This is a story, if true, that needs to be documented and shared.

Recommended For

I’d recommend this book for people who are interested in history, particularly Louisiana and agricultural history. There’s also some romance and mystery, with a bit of speculative storytelling. This book could easily sit on shelves alongside other notable biographies, African American history, American history, and agricultural history books.

IT’S YOUR TURN

Have  you ever traced your family history? Would you consider it?

PURCHASING OPTION

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BOOKISH THINGS

Bookshop.org – Shop for books selected by me, for you!

NetGalley Professional Reader – I receive free ARCs from NetGalley to review on my blog and share on Instagram.

The StoryGraph – A reading app that shares all the nerdy details of my bookish life.

THANK YOU

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Happy Reading,

 

 

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