Steep & Thorny Way

“A fast-paced read with multiple twists, the novel delivers a history lesson wrapped inside a murder mystery and ghost story . . . riveting.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

1920s Oregon is not a welcoming place for Hanalee Denney, the daughter of a white woman and an African-American man. She has almost no rights by law, and the Ku Klux Klan breeds fear and hatred even in Hanalee’s oldest friendships. Plus, her father, Hank Denney, died a year ago, hit by a drunk-driving teenager.

Now her father’s killer is out of jail and back in town, and he claims that Hanalee’s father wasn’t killed by the accident at all but, instead, was poisoned by the doctor who looked after him—who happens to be Hanalee’s new stepfather. The only way for Hanalee to get the answers she needs is to ask Hank himself—a “haint” wandering the roads at night . . .

“A delightfully unpredictable page-turner.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

“History, mystery . . . for To Kill A Mockingbird fans.” —Justine Magazine

“A powerful, gripping, and exceptionally well-executed glimpse into a little-known corner of U.S. history.” —Booklist (starred review)