When we think of racism and the south we automatically think whites against black. Other ethnicities seem to fall through the cracks. This book is based on the true story of Italian immigrants in Tallulah, LA. Calogero is a fourteen year old boy who lives with his cousins and uncles. As a whole they run a successful produce business, but are caught in the struggle between the blacks and whites. Since they don’t fit into either category of race, they are constantly harassed and eventually it must come to an end. This was a very powerful book and it really brought into perspective the fact that racism affected anyone who was different. The author made Calogero very real and likeable. Not only was the book a good read, but the afterward was very interesting. Napoli explains how she came across this obscure story, her research and how she was able to weave fact and fiction together. This would be a good choice for 5th graders on up.
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