As Gray as Black and White

In a town built on segregation, Mark Lawson believed he knew where he belonged. Then he discovers he’s Black—and belonging becomes the most dangerous thing to want.

In 1960s Alabama, fourteen-year-old Mark has grown up protected by privilege, certain of his future and his place in the world. But when a long-buried family secret is revealed, Mark’s identity—and everything he thought was true—shatters.

Overnight, he is forced out of his segregated school and threatened on the baseball team he once considered home. In the Jim Crow South, where race determines safety, opportunity, and survival, Mark learns that the truth can cost more than reputation—it can cost a life.

Even his friendship with Eddie, a Black teammate he once respected, becomes complicated as fear and uncertainty take hold. Mark must confront what he’s been taught, what he believes, and what kind of person he is willing to become.

As the world closes in, Mark faces an impossible choice: cling to the life that once protected him…or step into the truth and risk losing everything.

A powerful work of literary historical fiction, this emotionally gripping coming-of-age novel explores racial identity, prejudice, friendship, and courage during the Civil Rights era.

Perfect for readers who love book club fiction and novels like The Help, The Secret Life of Bees, and To Kill a Mockingbird.