Douglas Coiner

Weeds Among the Wheat Douglas Coiner

Before there was Black Lives Matter, there was the Civil Rights Movement. And though this book takes place during the era of the Civil Right Movement, the message is just as important in our world today. In 1958, Minnie Upton, an intelligent, strong-willed, African-American teenager became one of the first black students to be bussed to an all-white school in the suburbs of racially tense Memphis Tennessee. She was greeted with hatred and threats by the incumbent population of the area and suffered both physical and mental abuse at their hands. But this is not the story of what Minnie endured. This is the story of victory and the love that developed between Minnie and Sam, the giant boy who became her protector and the love she never expected to find. Sam, though caucasian, was also an outcast because of an affliction he was born with which caused him to grow at an accelerated rate. Together they faced the hatred of a divided city and showed the world what true commitment, courage, and love looked like. It is a coming of age love story for the ages with an important lesson of morality and acceptance. A must read for anyone 12 years old and up.