Moses is an African American boy, living in North Carolina 30 years after slavery ended. He’s having a lazy summer, finding shells at the beach, going swimming in the watering hole, and listening to the stories his boo nanny (grandmother) tells. But then his father’s boss publishes an article in the paper that makes a lot of people angry and everything changes. That’s when militia men start taking over the city, and it becomes clear that it is not safe to be African American anymore. Moses has to decide whether to be brave and stand up for what’s right, or keep quiet to avoid trouble.

If you like historical fiction and want to learn more about the time after slavery, check out this book. The story does deal with some tough topics, but it will give you a better idea of a time that isn’t covered in a lot of history books. It moves a little slow at the beginning, but once the story really gets going, you’ll be glad you stuck around. The characters are well developed and there is a sense of place that makes you feel like a part of the action, and makes it hard to put the book down.