About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is facing a crisis of conscience or struggling with the realization that people they love hold harmful beliefs. It is a powerful tool for navigating the messy intersection of family loyalty and personal ethics. Set in 1867 Richmond, the story follows fourteen year old Shad, who is torn between his older brother's involvement in the early Ku Klux Klan and his own secret friendship with students at a school for freed slaves. The book explores themes of systemic racism, the courage required to stand alone, and the difficulty of unlearning inherited prejudice. Given the heavy historical context and depictions of racial violence, it is best suited for mature middle schoolers and young teens. It offers a vital entry point for discussing how to choose what is right when the cost of doing so is losing the approval of your peers or family.
