Thanks to the publisher for the review copy. Really appreciated - as soon as I saw the book and read the blurb I was keen to read it.

The backdrop of the story is a devastating hurricane (I'd never heard of it but the 'real' story is told by the author in the final pages), and as you read references are made to the barometer changing, which indicates a storm is brewing. This also reflects the general mood of the time. Set in 1930s Florida at the time of racial tensions, this books tells the story of an attack on a white woman, and the assumption is that it is by a black man. It becomes clear that what was first thought might not be correct and I really liked how the story unfolded.

I studied American History at university and so was aware that during WW1 black and white men fought on the same battlefields. They fought in different troops but there was a new level of acceptance. What I probably was less aware of was what happened when the troops returned home. Along with the impending hurricane, there is also the backdrop of The Great Depression, which left most struggling. Many of the troops were unable to work (for mental or physical reasons) and were left homeless. As a consequence of demands made on Government, work parties were organised to build roads, railways etc. One such camp was set up in this fictional town on the Florida Keys. It was effectively a shanty town, with poor sanitation etc. The camp again saw troops mixing and getting on with the job in hand. But it caused issues within the towns, as witnessed in this novel.

I was surprised, as appeared to be the author, to hear that northern Florida experienced lynchings and killings of black men, and after the "crime" was committed Henry, the black man in question, absconded with Jimmy, a white young man, as "hostage," to avoid such a fate. Henry fled north to be free, and it was interesting to see how Henry and Jimmy formed a close relationship, with Jimmy even getting Henry out of a difficult situation.

Mid-way through the book the hurricane began to take full effect. The writing is really descriptive and it must be such a scary experience. Pressures were put on the town shelter, and again there were racial tensions, and the black people fled to open train carriages to shelter. The sheer weight of wind and water meant the town shelter was destroyed and the community pulled together and had, in a way, to forget about colour, and concentrate on survival.

I enjoyed this book on a number of levels; it is very readable, and educational.