Darkness in Dixie

by Rob Bauer

Overview

Darkness in Dixie is the fourth book in the groundbreaking Clarence Duval Series from veteran historical novelist Rob Bauer. It's a stunning narrative of an episode of American history that we're supposed to forget: The South's prison labor system.

Clarence Duval, an African American orphaned at age 6, is now 23. Deep down, he wants to know why his parents left him. When he gets a letter from an old friend stating his father is alive, he goes to Alabama to find out. Upon arrival, he's arrested and convicted of a sham crime by a judge bought and paid for by a Boston corporation. Helpless before an all-white jury, Clarence must pay off his sentence at a prison labor camp in Florida.

Conditions in the work camp are worse than hellish. This begins the race of Clarence's life. He must find a way to escape before he becomes another body in an unmarked grave lost forever in the Florida wilderness.

Darkness in Dixie is based on the real history of prison labor in the South. It's a raw, primal, powerful story essential to understanding the United States in the 21^st century. Darkness in Dixie is dark southern fiction at its darkest, a haunting story you won't soon forget.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940162981275
Publisher:	Rob Bauer Books
Publication date:	05/18/2020
Series:	The Clarence Duval Series , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

I’m Rob Bauer, author of historical fiction and nonfiction books and owner of Rob Bauer Books. I hold a PhD in American History and was a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow at the University of Arkansas.

My fiction has two purposes—entertaining readers and explaining historical injustice. Although I enjoy adventure and humorous books as much as the next reader, I’d like my books to stand for something a little bigger. All my studies in history put me in a position to do that. Whether I’m writing about how racism damages the individual psyche, the deportation of the Métis people of Montana, the South’s prison labor system, or the utter terror of the Belgian Congo, with my books you’ll find yourself in powerful historical stories.

I also write nonfiction about baseball history because I’ve always loved the game, its history, and its lore. I sometimes joke that baseball may be the one thing in life I truly understand. Although I love the statistical side of the game, if you don’t, never fear because my histories go light on the statistics and heavy on what baseball was like in the past. They’re stories about baseball, but stories with a point.

The history blog on my website offers posts on a variety of interesting historical figures and events. I’d love to have you follow along.

When I’m not working on my next story or writing project, I enjoy spending time at the beach and spending time with my wonderful dog Ally, preferably both at the same time. And, oh yeah, I still read a history book or two. When I’m not watching baseball.