The lives of a farmer, his sharecropper, and their families become tragically intertwined when two sons return from WWII and form a taboo friendship. In her debut novel, Hillary Jordan grapples with the racially charged past of the South and manages to yank out some truth before it slips back into the muddy Delta soil.

The pages fly by as Henry McAllan's family, dragged unwillingly from the metropolis of Memphis, makes their home on an isolated farm in rural Mississippi. They often rely on the help and wisdom of the Jacksons, the black sharecroppers who occupy their land.

While many of the characters may be prejudiced, the narration is anything but. Distinct voices alternate the storytelling: Laura McAllan, the reluctant farmer's wife, depicts emotional turmoil, while Ronsel, the black war hero, paints a world enveloped in the darkness of injustice.

As connections deepen, forbidden love and fierce pride lead to a catastrophic conclusion, ending a book that will no doubt leave its imprint in the reader's heart. --Marti Buckley