Under a Dark Summer Sky

In 1935 Heron Key, FL, domestic worker Missy Douglas witnesses inequality. Her employers' country club set preserves a comfortable status quo despite the Depression, Jim Crow laws, and the plight of World War I veterans celebrated for bravery yet still "adrift on the backwash of the war." A nearby WPA encampment of former servicemen hired for bridge construction engenders distrust: some black veterans are harboring "ideas." Among them is Henry Roberts, whose return has been awaited by Missy for 17 years and whose views make him a prime suspect when a prominent woman is brutally attacked. Meanwhile, a hurricane of unprecedented force barrels toward Heron Key. Narrator Karen Chilton movingly inhabits character viewpoints, particularly Missy's, in Lafaye's vivid, affecting debut. Portraying seething racial prejudice and raging weather as equally treacherous, dramatic vignettes based on real events surrounding the 1935 Labor Day hurricane will reward historical fiction fans. As well, local color, a persevering love story, and finely crafted prose will please readers seeking character-driven novels and new authors to enjoy.