In the Shadow of Alabama

Starred review from March 1, 2017

When Rachel Fleischer's father dies, she feels no sorrow for the man who made her childhood miserable. Then a stranger at the funeral opens up a chapter on the hidden story of her father's World War II service. As Rachel learns more about Marty Fleischer's experiences as a New York Jewish sergeant supervising a group of African Americans in Jim Crow Alabama, she begins to understand how his military career tainted him for life. Rachel, who raises horses with the assistance of Malachi, a black horse trainer who has become a father figure to her, discovers that she can turn her life around only if she can speak what's in her heart. VERDICT Singer's (An Inconvenient Elephant) page-turning, beautifully written autobiographical novel allows readers to see another version of World War II, in which soldiers didn't have to go to the front to experience the destructive and violent impacts of racism and prejudice.--Andrea Kempf, formerly with Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS

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