One generation away from slavery, a thriving African American community--enfranchised and emancipated--suddenly and violently loses its freedom in turn-of-the-century North Carolina when a group of local politicians stages the only successful coup d'etat in US history.
Starred Review, School Library Journal, January 1, 2012:
"The expert blending of vivid historical details with the voice of a courageous, relatable hero makes this book shine."
Starred Review, The Horn Book Magazine, January 1, 2012:
"Wright has taken a little-known event and brought it to vivid life, with a richly evoked setting of a town on the Cape Fear River, where a people not far from the days of slavery look forward to the promise of the twentieth century."
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, December 12, 2011:
"This thought-provoking novel and its memorable cast offer an unflinching and fresh take on race relations, injustice, and a fascinating, little-known chapter of history."
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2011:
"Relying on historical records, Wright deftly combines real and fictional characters to produce an intimate story about the Wilmington riots to disenfranchise black citizens. An intensely moving, first-person narrative of a disturbing historical footnote told from the perspective of a very likable, credible young hero."