Publisher's Synopsis
In 1953 Bill Maddox comes home in his shiny red truck after hauling for the Commonwealth of Kentucky to find his home is a smoking hole in the ground: a black boy, who he and his wife Sarah had befriended and employed, has raped and murdered her, then burned the house down.Recognizing the boy is insane, Maddox, a WWII marine veteran, pleads that he be shown mercy. The judge spares the boy's life and sends him to a mental institution, which enrages an element of the populace.Maddox falls ill. Deep depression, pneumonia and delirium overtake him. He nearly dies on the shanty boat where he has holed up. Unbeknownst to him the murderer's mother and her children carry Bill off his boat to their home and nurse him back to health.During recovery he learns that his grandfather had been part of the Underground Railroad. He discovers forgiveness and joins the cause against racial oppression. His fellow travelers include a big time whiskey distiller, a prostitute, a blues singer and a juke joint operator just to name a few.Together, this alliance with the help of a cop by the name of Datillo uncovers and destroys a plot by the K.K.K. to infiltrate and take control of the Louisville Police Department. They receive no accolades, but interracial bonds are forged that bode well for the future. Mr. Maddox is a gritty triumphant tale told with ribald humor, a dash of hopefulness and a good measure of faith.
