First published 1992
In 1970s McIntosh County, Georgia, the civil rights movement feels like a distant memory. Sheriff Tom Poppell runs this coastal community like his personal kingdom, controlling jobs, justice, and daily life while black residents stay silent. The flowery Georgia coast hides an unchanged world where white authority goes unquestioned. Then Thurnell Alston steps forward. He has no job, no education, and no political experience. What he does have is the courage to challenge Poppell and his courthouse allies. Alston's fight ignites a transformation that the broader civil rights movement somehow missed. His battle against entrenched power becomes a test of whether one determined person can change an entire way of life. This National Book Award finalist captures the moment when a forgotten corner of the South finally confronts its past and fights for a different future.
Genres: american-fiction, activism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary, underdog
Setting: McIntosh County, Georgia, American South
Period: 1970s
346 pages · Paperback · Seeker & Warburg
Content warnings: racism, violence