Ruth Galloway Returns

In this historical fiction novel, Whitehead delves into the human cruelty of the very real Florida school presented as a reform school for boys. Elwood Curtis ends up there as an idealist who holds onto Dr Martin Luther King’s words “Throw us in jail, and we will still love you,” but his views will quickly be tested by cruelty and those who believe you have to be as cruel as your oppressors to survive, especially when no one is coming to help.

This is a true crime book written by the forensic anthropologist who worked to locate the graveyard and graves of the boys who “disappeared” at a Florida reform school. The school was able to operate for more than 100 years as it wasn’t until the reports of cruelty and mysterious deaths finally got the attention they should have always had that the school was closed in 2011. Erin Kimmerle and her team worked to find the bodies and through DNA testing let their families know their children’s bodies had finally been found.