In 1913 Spartanburg, South Carolina, a black man hovers in the county jail, arrested for a horrendous crime against a white woman, and aware of a howling mob outside the jailhouse walls determined to lynch him. Basically true, this novel tells the story of a brave sheriff, denied help by the city mayor and the state governor, fighting to protect his prisoner from the mob with the help of a few deputies. Even if he succeeds, what chance is there for justice for a black man in a white man's court at a time when Jim Crow laws and culture ruled in the South? A mix of racial stereotypes, hatred, long-held opinions, a desire for integrity, duty-bound lawyers, and a fair-minded judge lead to what might be a surprising conclusion.
