The Tracks

The Tracks novel is a time period story taking place from the 1860`s through 1919 in a small Virginia town. The story begins on the ' Lukens' family plantation. Andrew Lukens, his wife Elizabeth, and two sons, Albert and Edward run the property. As the civil war approaches Andrew and his eldest son join the efforts leaving behind Elizabeth and her young son Edward to maintain the property. The story takes a dramatic turn near the end of the war when Elizabeth receives news of her husbands death. As the property declines and slaves escape to freedom Elizabeth has a nervous breakdown. Toward the ending of the war union soldiers destroy the property and set the thirty or so remaining slaves free. The narrative continues over the next four decades of racial injustices and interaction amid white Americans and their mistreatment of blacks in the new " Reconstruction Era America." When the civil war ended, many communities in the south struggled with regaining economic power and stability. The reconstruction law implemented by congress, created complex and opposing views on the social and racial order replaced slavery. The era was was met with vengeful and raw hatred by the white southern majority. In most white southern towns, white supremacy reigned, but Lukens town had a "freed people's code," and a hidden secret that elevated black people to a higher social economic status than whites in town. Lukens town was named after the Lukens family and former plantation owners during the old slave town in Virginia. Edward Lukens is now a rich steel plant owner who runs the town and hides an ominous family secret. The reconstruction era Lukens town in Virginia has a sullied past filled with family mystery, lies, murder and betrayal. In 1919, Lukens the racially segregated town divided into sections by rail road tracks, the east all white and lower middle class, and the west all Black and affluent becomes embroiled in unrest in the two communities. The town becomes deeply plagued, and drenched in racial tension between the two communities after the murders of some affluent blacks. Edward Lukens must contend with his past secret family history, and his current relationships with his three children, one of which is hiding an interracial relationship. While trying to keep his town from tearing apart racially Edward is torn in different directions. The narrative progresses and the towns race realization deteriorates and it`s atmosphere comes to a disturbingly explosive head in 1919"Red Summer."

• | Author: Anderson Bernard
• | Publisher: Independently Published
• | Publication Date: Nov 11, 2019
• | Number of Pages: 194 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Paperback
• | ISBN-10: 1707648654
• | ISBN-13: 9781707648658