Dickie Erman’s historical fiction novel, The Adventures of Sunny Washington, wastes no words and spares no feelings regarding the attitudes and treatment of black people by whites. So many times, I shook my head in disbelief, beginning with the heartbreak of Sunny’s mother when she realizes her two young sons have been sold off by her master without her knowledge, after which she is sent packing, leaving little Sunny on the plantation.

“[T]he subplot about a good, Christian black slave, Thomas, falsely accused of raping a promiscuous white teenager that hits readers hardest. The injustice he endures in a court where the jury of 12 white men returns a guilty verdict because they are more concerned about explaining an innocent ruling that makes your skin crawl … The plot moves quickly, and the characters are relatable. Adults … in light of everyday current events, will wonder just how far society and white supremacists have come since the 1850s.