T H E E M A N C I PAT I O N O F
E VA N WA L L S
Jeffrey Blount
EVAN WALLS IS TERRIFIED by the
birth of his first child because he doesn’t
want her to suffer the isolation he had as
a child. Seeing his torment, his wife, Izzy,
prods him to explain. He tells of being
a black child growing up in the racially
charged 1960s. Inspired to overcome
the racism and class status imposed on
blacks, he dreams of a life bigger than
that lived by most everyone he knows
in the small Virginia town of Canaan.
He is resented by friends and family for
desiring a life better than theirs. Among
the smartest in his class, Evan becomes
a target of white kids threatened by
the forced integration of their schools.
Caught in a crossfire of hate from whites
and his own people, who question whether he is black enough, Evan
is often alone and bewildered. Only the love of his great grandmother,
Mama Jennie, and his mentor, Bojack, keeps him on track. Together,
they help Evan find perspective and peace.
“Great American Novel” - Amazon
“My favorite book of 2019” - Susan Cushman, author of Friends of the Library
https://jeffreyblount.com/