Plot:The period after the American Civil War was almost as volatile as the war itself. Newly freed slaves would try to use their civil rights, only to be harassed and persecuted by scared and angry whites, including police, democrats, former confederate soldiers, and former slave owners. Six of these angry young men would form a group that, eventually, would become one of the most feared terror organizations of the time: The Ku Klux Klan. The Klan would whip, lynch, and murder African Americans and white people who would help them. This book highlights the rise, prime, and decline of the K.K.K. It has quotes and tales from survivors of the Klan’s horrific and gruesome attacks against freedmen and white people who helped them . And above all, it shows how a group of people filled with prejudice and malice tortured and killed all who opposed them.
Likes: I like this book since it is about history, my favorite subject. The details in this book paint a vivid and dark picture of what the author was describing with her words. The quotes from the survivors of the K.K.K. attacks help show the brutality used with black people and the Republicans who supported equal rights. This book gives us information about a dark and turbulent chapter of American history that we should all learn from and never repeat for the betterment of humanity.
Recommendations: I recommend this book to anyone at or above 12 years of age since some of the language used against the African Americans is inappropriate for younger children. Also, some details and illustrations shown may disturb or scare younger children. This book is a finalist in the “YALSA-ALA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction”. Some parts of the book were uncomfortable, including some images and cartoons from the era. The book left me with a not-so-happy feeling.
Rating: 4/5
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