In Florida, 1950, Robert and Gloria’s father is chased out of town on false charges, but his real “crime” was asking for better pay and conditions for African American workers. Their mother has already died of cancer, so they are left in the care of an elderly friend. Then while protecting his sister, Robert kicks the privileged son of the McCormacks, who are wealthy and powerful landowners. With the bang of a gavel, Robert is sent to The Gracetown School for Boys, a strict reform school. This is a place of death, torture, and pain, especially if you are not white. And it is also full of ghosts, or “haints.” Robert’s not the only one who can see the haints, but he can see them better than most, a gift he will soon regret. Meanwhile on the outside, Gloria is desperately working for his release.

This is a heart-wrenching novel with a paranormal twist. The saddest and most horrible fact is that this school is based on a school of another name that actually operated in Florida. The evil that exists in the school is powerfully portrayed through both man and spirit. The fate of many of the young boys who were tortured and killed will leave the reader in tears. The paranormal twist brings the deaths to the forefront in a strong and unforgettable way. Gloria’s role as Robert’s constant who will never give up shines through in a light of hope, as does another special character Robert sees in the school. The evil is personified in so many people, and not just murderers, but racists, corrupt judges, and those who shrugged and looked the other way. It is a well-written but deeply horrifying novel that the reader will not, and should not, forget.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.