It took me a very long time to finish reading this novel because of how disturbing it is; it really is difficult to get through because of the gruesome detail exercised in regards to, specifically, lynchings, and while it may be true that Patterson's work usually is fairly gruesome, it is a lot more difficult to read something that is based on something that really did happen. Every character that is lynched in this novel represents a person that really did live once until his life was cut short with a rope bound tightly around his neck. With that being said, as a big James Patterson fan, I really appreciate the fact that he wrote a historical fiction novel, something that, as far as I can remember, he has not tried yet, unless you would consider the Jester a work of historical fiction. The novel makes it clear that Patterson did his homework and uncovered as much information about life in the American south during the early part of the twentieth century as he could manage, and the novel pays very close attention to detail. I really enjoyed reading this novel, especially since I learned a lot about Alex's ancestry, and, if possible, I would even like to use it in an English classroom after I become a high school teacher, seeing as how it is so historically significant and focuses on a time period that I feel is far too often ignored by teachers.