ISBN: 1-4916-6801-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-4196-6801-2
321 pages
Published by BookSurge,
U.S. $14.99
Hurricane
Dora battered the coastal town of Liberty, Georgia in the summer of 1964. But
even more powerful than the howling winds and pelting rain was the swirling storm growing in strength between those who sought
to desegregate Liberty and those who preferred to keep it the same.
Under the Liberty Oak
tells the story of Brittan Lee Hayworth who is nine years old during the summer of 1964 when she and her best friend, Beth
Ann, sneak out of choir practice. As Hurricane Dora begins to pound upon Liberty’s shores the civil unrest that has been building reaches its climax. When it’s all over, Beth Ann is missing, Brittan Lee’s father is dead,
and a young black man named Ebon—who might have perished in the fire that killed Brittan Lee’s father—is assumed responsible.
Forty
years later, Brittan Lee returns to Liberty, Georgia after the gruesome discovery of a child’s skull found inside a car at the bottom of the Altamaha River. Could this be her missing friend?
And
she finds even after all the time that’s passed, Liberty still has not healed from the tragic events of the night Hurricane Dora came to town.
The
FBI is investigating claims of civil rights violations and hate crimes in the area and agents are talking to anyone and everyone
about the summer of 1964 and the night that Beth Ann went missing. And they want
to know what Brittan Lee remembers.
But
when someone tries to kill her, Brittan Lee figures that the FBI is not the only one who is curious about what she knows.
As
the FBI continues its investigation into alleged civil rights violations, new evidence and Brittan Lee’s memories help
to uncover what really happened on that fateful night and how Hurricane Dora helped people hide terrifying secrets.
Under the Liberty Oak
is a fascinating and suspenseful story. Paige Cummings manages to bring the reader
back and forth between Liberty, Georgia in 1964 and the present day with great ease, never once leaving the reader confused about where in Liberty’s history they are.
Cummings
weaves Southern history into a novel that draws the reader in from the very first word to the powerful last. Her characters are not merely believable, they are so real that the reader experiences every moment with
them—their pain, their sorrows, and their triumphs.
And
while I’m not a big fan of surprise endings, this one is so well done that I read the last chapter four times.
Under the Liberty Oak
is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I highly recommend it to any reader
who loves a gripping story filled with real characters and twists and turns in every chapter.
Cheryl Malandrinos - Muse Book Reviewer
*HIGHL
Y RECOMMENDED
