First published 1982
John Washington returns to his Pennsylvania hometown when his father Moses dies under mysterious circumstances. The historian finds himself pulled into a web of family secrets and local history that stretches back generations. Moses had been researching the Underground Railroad and a specific incident that occurred in Chaneysville during the 1850s. John discovers his father's obsessive quest to uncover what happened to a group of runaway slaves who died there rather than face recapture. As John follows the trail of evidence his father left behind, he confronts painful truths about his family's past and his own identity. The investigation forces him to reckon with the legacy of slavery and violence that shaped his community. John must decide whether to continue his father's dangerous pursuit of historical truth or let the past remain buried.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigation, legacy, reckoning
Setting: Chaneysville, Pennsylvania
Period: 1850s
450 pages · Unknown Binding · Avon
Content warnings: slavery, violence