Historical Fiction
Date Published: Tuesday, October 8,2024
Publisher:Peanut Butter Publishing
In ruralRadford, Tennessee, in the 1950s, a white family is killed in an automobile accident.
Upon hearingthe news of her parents’ and grandfather’s deaths,Jessa runs away with her dog, creating problems for her town, especially forthe sheriff, her parents’ friends, and the Black community that fallsunder suspicion. Racial distrust shapes the town’s response toJessa’s disappearance, and as the weeks stretch out, the weather posesincreasing challenges for Jessa as she shelters in a hollow tree whileattempting to provide for herself and her dog, Cassie. Help appears from anunexpected source as a family mystery is revealed.
The MissingGirl and the second book, Jessa Is Back, are placed right inthe midst of “the good old days” and serve as a reminder of theunabashed nature and danger of white supremacy in the 1950s. These provideus an opportunity to examine the parallels in events unfolding today
Also in the Series
Historical Fiction
Date Published: Tuesday, October 8,2024
Publisher:Peanut ButterPublishing
Jessa is adifferent person when she returns to her hometown.
The integratedschools in Oregon allowed her to form a friendship with aBlack girl, and now she sees the local Jim Crow practices in Tennessee withnew eyes. Supported by her Oregon relatives, she becomes an advocate notonly for the inclusion of music throughout the school system of Radford, butalso for friendships that cross racial lines. While she becomes a gadfly tothe school board, her interactions with other members of her townprecipitate crises that uncover support for her position as well as staunchopposition.
In the South,and also in the rest of the country, a long road stretchesfrom the 1950s to the present, and we must judge how well we have lived upto the vision that Jessa’s discovery of interracial friendshiprevealed to her.
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Thanks for posting
This looks like a very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing.