And All Our Wounds Forgiven

by Julius Lester

First published 1994

John Calvin Marshall commands attention when he steps to the podium. His voice carries across packed churches and television screens as he builds a movement that will reshape America. Marshall rises from obscurity to become the face of civil rights, drawing followers who believe his words can change the world. But leadership extracts a price. Death threats arrive daily. The FBI watches his every move. His marriage strains under the weight of constant travel and danger. Marshall knows that speaking truth in America can be fatal, yet he cannot stop. The movement depends on him, and he depends on the movement. Multiple voices tell his story, each revealing different facets of a man caught between his public mission and private struggles. As Marshall gains national prominence, the forces arrayed against him grow stronger and more desperate. The question becomes not whether he will succeed, but whether he will survive long enough to see his dream fulfilled.

Genres: american-fiction, biographical-fiction, activism, african-american-historical-fiction

Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, public-figure

Period: 20th-century

228 pages · Hardcover · Arcade Publishing

Content warnings: violence

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