Overview

By focusing on a small town in South Carolina, this study of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the South reveals the hard truths of an ongoing and complex issue. Skerritt contends that the United States has failed to adequately address the threat of HIV and AIDS in communities of colour and that taboos about love, race, and sexuality - combined with Southern conservatism, white privilege, and black oppression - continue to create an unacceptable death toll. The heartbreak of America's failure comes alive through case studies of individuals such as Carolyn, a wild child whose rebellion coincided with the advent of AIDS, and Nita, a young woman searching for love and trapped in an abusive relationship. The results are most visible at the town's segregated burial ground where dozens of young black men and women who have died from AIDS are laid to rest. Not only a call to action and awareness, this is a true story of how persons of faith, enduring love, and limitless forgiveness can inspire others by serving as guides for poor communities facing a public health threat burdened with conflicting moral and social conventions.

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9781569768143

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Reviews

A powerful debut...The author makes a strong case that the shame is not with the dying but with those who turn away from the reality of this epidemic. -- Kirkus Reviews

A compassionate and beautifully written account of the arrival and devastation caused by AIDS in the poor, rural South. [. . .] This is a history worth telling, a story deftly crafted by an excellent journalist. --Patrice Gaines , author of Laughing in the Dark , former reporter for the Washington Post Mr. Skerritt's book is both poignant and beautiful, even as the subject is tragic. His writing evokes an immediate and powerful reaction from the reader. . . . It is a must read for anyone concerned with HIV/AIDS or social justice. -- Paul Kawata, Executive Director, National Minority AIDS Council Mr. Skerritt s book is both poignant and beautiful, even as the subject is tragic. His writing evokes an immediate and powerful reaction from the reader.. . . It is a must read for anyone concerned with HIV/AIDS or social justice. Paul Kawata, Executive Director, National Minority AIDS Council A compassionate and beautifully written account of the arrival and devastation caused by AIDS in the poor, rural South. [. . .] This is a history worth telling, a story deftly crafted by an excellent journalist. Patrice Gaines, author of Laughing in the Dark, former reporter for the Washington Post Powerful and beautifully written...Skerritt's book succeeds not only as an excellent work journalism, but a powerful story of the damaged lives of the men and women as well as the families left behind in the wake of this awful disease. The Post &Courier A powerful debut...The author makes a strong case that the shame is not with the dying but with those who turn away from the reality of this epidemic. Kirkus Reviews Skerritt is skillful in showing the complex feelings and traditions that tragically keep many southern AIDS sufferers from seeking help; his portraits of the group of health care pros who do wonderful work, trying to deal with the crisis in the face of pervasive death, is moving nearly beyond words. This is the kind of book you wish you could place in a lot of people's hands and suggest they read it. Creative Loafing Charlotte

Author Information

Andrew Skerritt is a longtime journalist who has contributed to publications including the St. Petersburg Times, Charlotte NC Observer, and the Tallahassee Democrat. A native of London, England, he grew up on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida, where he teaches journalism at Florida A&M University.

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