Bøger af John Hamby

Five years after the Supreme Court of the United States ordered the end of public school segregation, the practice is still alive and well in Pine Grove, South Carolina. In fact, the Freedom of Choice program initiated by the school board is solely to satisfy the federal government and NAACP while keeping the status quo. This clash between federal regulations and local social standards comes to an explosive reality for elementary school principal Ron Guy when his African-American custodian Ben submits a Freedom of Choice form to transfer his step-daughter to Ron's all-white school. Ron quickly finds himself caught in a whirlwind of passion, fear, hate, and a growing sense of violence as Ben's wife Lilith demands that the system accommodate the request. An immovable object meets an irresistible force as Lilith refuses to allow Ben to withdraw the filed form and the all-white school board prepares to impose its will at all costs. This impasse produces a butterfly effect as backdoor dealings, sexually charged alliances, and explosive passion and betrayal threaten to tear the town apart. When everything erupts in violence and murder, Ron is left with a decision that will alter his life forever: walk away, or stay and fight for what he believes to be right. A historical novel of extraordinary resonance and uncommon grace, John Hamby's debut novel is an unsettling look at the horrific power of prejudice. Exploring a topic as relevant today as it was fifty years ago, he delves deeply into the human psyche, exposing the fears and passions that drive our behavior and unleash torrents of devastation. As entertaining as it is provoking, Freedom of Choice is a searing portrayal of the darker aspects of human behavior.

Racial desegregation threatens to tear a rural South Carolina town apart in John Hamby's gripping new novel, Freedom to Choose. The long-awaited sequel to Freedom of Choice, this historical tale picks up in the aftermath of Ron Guy's firing from his position as principal at an all-white elementary school. His support for racial equality doesn't sit well with the Ku Klux Klan and White Citizens Council, but Ron manages to find allies in Reverend Booker T. Boyd and Dalton Rhoades. Together, they do all they can to promote desegregation and voter registration, even setting up a citizenship school to help blacks maneuver the complicated process of registering to vote. But the more progress they make, the more bloodshed surrounds them-culminating in a horrific murder that shakes Ron to the core. And as he struggles with these violent oppressors, Ron must also come to terms with his newfound skepticism in traditional religion, his doubt over the efficacy of passive resistance, and his ever-present fear of what might be lurking around every corner. A fascinating glimpse into the tumultuous civil rights era, Freedom to Choose offers fresh insight into one of America's most historic moments.

Racial tensions run high, and the price of freedom comes at a heavy price for those brave enough to pursue equal rights in 1960s rural South Carolina. A black man's anger over being asked to give up his place in line turns fatal when Deputy Ralph Manley, a crony of the local Ku Klux Klan, shoots him in public. A group of civil rights advocates who call themselves the Manse Kitchen Gang push the mayor to have Manley arrested but lack faith in a local government influenced by local KKK Imperial Wizard James "Red" Cross. Ron Guy, head teacher at the Citizenship School, where black citizens are taught how to register to vote, struggles over whether the violence deserves a more radical response but holds true to the group's nonviolent ways. He and fellow advocates find promise when they discover state law enforcement is investigating, but just how many more will die before they win the fight? John Hamby, author of Freedom of Choice and Freedom to Choose, returns with Freedom Across the River, the third novel in his trilogy focused on the struggle for racial equality in 1960s South Carolina.

This book began as a sermon series for my local congregation. The reason for the series was the growing awareness that over the years some of the most confusing preaching I have ever heard has been at funerals. I felt that if the preaching reflected a poor understanding of eternity on the part of the preachers involved then it must be even worse among the general population. I began by soliciting from the congregation their questions concerning eternity, these questions demonstrated that there is still confusion even among good Christians concerning the subject. For that reason I have written this series I have entitled; ¿Eternity: What Awaits Beyond.¿