Overview

Earl B. Peterson is angry after the Ku Klux Klan bombs his house, killing his mother. When his plummeting grades put him in danger of losing his college scholarship, a teacher asks ace student Shirley Dupree to tutor him in algebra. But there is constant tension between the classmates, as she is active in the nonviolence movement and he's only interested in revenge. In this novel for young people set against the backdrop of the Birmingham Children's March in the 1960s, the characters help where adults had failed in transforming public opinion and energizing the civil-rights movement.

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9781455624928

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Reviews

Rhonda Rucker's devastating, gritty portrait of young African Americans struggling to resist fear and confusion to affirm values of justice and community against violent white supremacy in Birmingham, Alabama, gives us a powerful insider view of the 'children's crusade' and the 1963 Southern civil rights movement. Michael Honey, author of Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Sanitation Strike and Martin Luther King's Last Campaign. In the style of a brilliant lyrical writer, Rhonda Rucker has combined characters -- their qualities and feelings -- the setting, and the times into a fantastically readable and intimate account that follows the spirit of Baldwin's Another Country! Welcome to Bombingham is a masterful blend of news coverage and creatively fictionalized details of the modern Civil Rights Movement; voiced as the narrative story of Earl B; who, with other courageous souls, made America another country. William Turner, Distinguished Professor (Retired) of Appalachian Studies, Berea College, KY, coeditor (with Edward Cabbell) of Blacks in Appalachia A powerful reading experience. Welcome to Bombingham is set in the historical reality of early 1960s Alabama. The exciting plot follows a young person's evolution from teenage anger and frustration at oppression and personal tragedy to a deeper understanding of the possibility of change. Especially helpful is the author's afterword, reminding readers of Birmingham's factual civil rights history and the role played by young activists. Candie Carawan, coauthor of Sing for Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through Its Songs. A page-turner--an unflinching account of one Birmingham teenager's struggle for justice in the face of vicious racial hatred, at a time when doing right could get a person killed. This gripping story will raise eyebrows, quicken hearts, and awaken minds. Charles E. Collyer, PhD, co-director, Zepp Center for Nonviolence and Peace Education; chair, education committee, NAACP Branch 7014; coauthor (with Ira Zepp) of Nonviolence: Origins and Outcomes, 3rd ed.

Author Information

For thirty years, Rhonda Lynn Rucker has been a professional musician, author, and storyteller. Performing as the duo, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, she and her husband have recorded ten albums together. Their CD, TREASURES & TEARS, was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award, and their music is included on the Grammy-nominated anthology, SINGING THROUGH THE HARD TIMES. Rhonda's Civil War-era novel, SWING LOW, SWEET HARRIET, was a Crystal Kite Award finalist. Her more recent books, MAKE A CHANGE and WELCOME TO BOMBINGHAM, take place during the civil rights movement, one of her favorite time periods because of its powerful soundtrack of spirited songs. The Ruckers' performing credits include the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Festival, NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, and the International Storytelling Center. Sparky and Rhonda have also led and participated in workshops at the Highlander Research and Education Center, which was instrumental in energizing and organizing people during the civil rights movement. Sparky and Rhonda sell their CDs and books at concerts and through their website.

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