This was one of these books which I got on Kindle for free and has been there to read for ages. I then one night decided to read it and am glad I did, it is a great book.
Its a story of black versus white - a boy finds himself a mix-up - half white/half black, not really knowing who he is - what his identity is. A struggle
Due to sleeping one of the white men's daughters and getting her pregnant, Leon has to leave town. he leaves everything behind him and begins a new life of finding himself and a place in the world - hitching with a group of blacks first but then being outcast by them, goes to work in Williamsport with the White people.
He finds a friend in Hugh and begins to live his life as a white man, but is also confused because he still doesn't know whether he is black, or whether he is white - he does not know where he fits in still. He's accepted by some people in the town but then now by others. Its a story of trying to fit in.
Leon even changes his name to Bob White and at the end is not sure what's true in his head relating to his life. Its a story of confusion and identity.
Bob meets a lady, Jenny whom he wants to marry but knows he cannot lie to her so he tells her the truth about his life - which she finds hard, she tells him he has to decide how he wants to live - does he want to be white, or does he want to be black? Its a book of choices.
This begins a night of revelations for Bob/Leon about his childhood - startling realisations which makes him really think about who he is and who he wants to be. Its a book about finding who you are, turning from past to present - dealing with the memories -moving on.
I give it a 4/5 star rating and look forward to seeing more of Terry Persun's work.
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