The Long Run

When Mike is killed by a group of small-town racists who do not approve of his mixed-race marriage, his children Jacob, Jesse, and Jenny, and their mother, Sophia, struggle to keep the spiritual beliefs, instilled in them by Mike, and are put to the test and taunted by neighborhood bullies over their ethnically-mixed heritage. Spanning more than a decade, the story reveals the siblings' successes and failures as the neighborhood spirals downward under the dark influence of bullies and bad guys who go from petty-theft, to kidnapping and even murder. All the while, the siblings become ever more determined to take drastic measures to change the lives of several kids headed for destruction, including some bad attitude bullies. The siblings learn lessons about perseverance, optimism, and standing up for what you believe in. —Twila Barnett