The Reformatory

In the oppressive heat of the Jim Crow South, twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr. finds himself thrust into the shadowed corridors of the Gracetown School for Boys—known amongst whispered circles as The Reformatory. This heartrending tale of innocence besieged by the era's brutal injustices unfolds with Tananarive Due's signature mastery, as she channels the silenced past of a relative long obscured by time into a narrative that breathes with urgency and truth. When a defiant act of protection for his sister Gloria lands Robbie within the reformatory's unforgiving walls, he must navigate a world where the specter of racial terror is outmatched only by the literal ghosts that haunt him. Possessing the ability to see 'haints', Robbie's rare gift reveals a harrowing insight into the fate of those lost boys who've been swallowed by the institution’s dark appetite. Banding with his compatriots, the resilient Redbone and the thoughtful Blue, Robbie learns the harsh laws of survival. Outside, Gloria's desperate campaign to liberate her brother becomes a family's crusade, battling against time and a system designed to silence. "The Reformatory" is a chilling convergence of historical fiction and the supernatural, a novel where the ghosts of the past are as real as the cruelty that holds Robbie captive. It is a testament to the forgotten, a spotlight on the hidden horrors of history, brought to vivid life through Due's evocative prose and unflinching narrative. Prepare to be haunted by this extraordinary novel from the pen of an American Book Award-winning author—a story that will not only grip your heart but also compel you to look into the dark corners of our shared history.

$26.99*