CROSSING DAY
William A. Glass
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GENRE: Young Adult/Alternate History
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BLURB:
It's been one hundred and sixty years since the Confederacy won its independence at the Battle of Altamaha Crossing. Slaves of African descent still perform most of the work in the South. This seems normal to Ryan Walters and his friends who attend high school in Huntsville, Alabama. Like teens everywhere, they enjoy sharing videos, playing sports, and hanging out with friends. Jaybird's drive-in is their favorite gathering place. There, they befriend Mish, a slave girl who works as a car hop. When the drive-in’s owner sells Mish to a dirty old man, Ryan and his friends awaken to the injustice around them. Despite the danger, they decide to help Mish escape. Will they succeed?
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Excerpt:
Melanie wanders into the dining room and finds her parents already seated at the table with their personal slaves standing behind them. Her mother, Dorothy, takes a sip of orange juice and replaces the glass on the lace tablecloth. Her servant, Natty, immediately gets a pitcher from the sideboard and refills the glass. Meanwhile, James is smiling at Melanie. “Morning, Miss,” he says. The white-haired Black man pulls out her chair. Once she’s seated, he spreads a cloth napkin over her lap.
“What was all the ruckus at Jaybird’s last night?” Dan Montgomery asks. He’s the mayor of Huntsville and knows everything.
“A German boy started it,” Melanie says defensively.
“Yes, and his father already called me to complain. He’s a big wheel at The Space Flight Complex.”
“Sorry!”
Montgomery points to the syrup. His slave, Parker, reaches for it and then pours. “Enough,” Montgomery snaps. He turns back to Melanie. “You and all the others will have a week of detention.”
Melanie gasps. “What about cheerleading practice?”
“You should have thought of that before you went to the drive-in. That’s where all the delinquents hang out and you with them.”
“I won’t go anymore. Please.” Melanie bats her baby blues at her father. His expression melts. “Go to detention after school today, and maybe we’ll see about tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Montgomery cuts off a bite of pancake and pops it into his mouth. That reminds Melanie to eat as well. It’s almost time for the bus.
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Review:
Crossing Day is an entertaining read, but it is also a novel to ponder. There are things that people may not think much about nowadays, but this story will have readers thinking of the past, in this case, an alternative past that is blended with the present.
The story is told through the experiences of some teenagers used to a way of life much different than we know it, one where African Americans are still under the horrible bondage of slavery in this country. The author has given even that a twist though: If America had been on the losing side during World War II, and Germany had won, what would happen in the States? What could life be like? The combination is intriguing.
The characters are well-developed, and so is the world building of this fictitious setting. Through dialogue and sense details, we get a real feel for this imaginary time and place. There is plenty of tension to create suspense and a lot to think about here.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Bill is a retired business executive who now lives in a small southern town with his wife, Bettina. She’s a retired high school German teacher. Bill coaches soccer at a small college. Often, Bettina, who has a commercial driver’s license, pilots the soccer team bus to away games.
Bettina and Bill have three sons, Alex, Robert, and Gordon who have all graduated from college and moved away to pursue careers. Instead of having an empty nest, Bettina and Bill now host three rescue dogs. They enjoy finding promising hiking trails to explore with their dogs.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.glass.50767
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williamasaglass
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WilliamAGlass3
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-glass-1281609/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20170818.William_A_Glass
LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/profile/Glaswa4611
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Day-William-Glass-ebook/dp/B0CW8HBGV4/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
William A. Glass will award a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.
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4 comments:
Thank you so much for hosting and reviewing today.
I liked the excerpt.
Sounds like a good story.
This looks like a novel I will thoroughly enjoy. Thanks for sharing.
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