In the Crossfire of the Klans

Beatings, burnings, bombings, and murder became the song of the South during the desegregation era of the 1960s. Patriotism turned to terrorism to resist the inevitable changes brought about by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Klan was in his home, the FBI was at his door, and he was cornered with no way out.

By Michelle Abramson, editor and friend

This is a coming-of-age story with a twist. From earliest childhood to young adulthood, Buddy leads us through the society that was the Deep South in the tumultuous years preceding and immediately following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Buddy’s parents were poor and moved frequently. He and his siblings introduce us to a world that seems much further in our collective past than it really is. This is a world of tight relationships between individuals of both races, but also a society where antipathy and bigotry pervade every aspect of life.