There was another South in the 1960s, one far removed from the marches and bombings and turmoil in the streets that were broadcast on the evening news. It was a place of inner turmoil, where ordinary people struggled to right themselves on a social landscape that was dramatically shifting beneath their feet. This is the world of Valerie Fraser Luesse's stunning debut, Missing Isaac.
It is 1965 when black field hand Isaac Reynolds goes missing from the tiny, unassuming town of Glory, Alabama. The townspeople's reactions range from concern to indifference, but one boy will stop at nothing to find out what happened to his unlikely friend. White, wealthy, and fatherless, young Pete McLean has nothing to gain and everything to lose in his relentless search for Isaac. In the process, he will discover much more than he bargained for. Before it's all over, Pete--and the people he loves most--will have to blur the hard lines of race, class, and religion. And what they discover about themselves may change some of them forever.
Missing Isaac was a beautiful debut novel for Valerie Fraser Luesse. I have to admit that coming-of-age stories are hit and miss for me most of the time, I either fall head over heals or I end up setting it down and not picking it up again. I'm happy to say that Missing Isaac fell into the first category. Not only was it wonderfully written, but the characters seemed to come to life and I felt instantly transported back to the time. I feel like this book offers a little something for everyone.
5 out of 5.
I received a copy of this book from Revell for my honest review.
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