The Grey Ghost

It’s 1959. Nine year old Cally and brother, Bud befriend a colored man, Isaac Washington, caretaker of a rundown cemetery, and boathouse along the St. John’s River in Florida; an unusual friendship, given it’s during a time of segregation. Through cirmcumstances beginning Halloween, Cally and Bud are swept into a frightening world, of deadly, dark secrets, hidden in the seemingly peaceful pine forests and groves surrounding the river; secrets of hatred, disguised inside “The River Hunt Club” that meets in a ramshackle hotel thought to be haunted. Cally and Bud, with their two sisters and friends, Larry and Gloria, aren’t sure who to trust or where to turn. Kate asks, “If there’s going to be trouble, don’t you think we should tell the police? “Tell them what?” Bud answers, “Tell them that a bunch of kids were watching a Klan meeting and we think they’re going to do something, but we don’t know what, or to who, or where. We don’t know anything. Besides, who do we tell; that Billy Bob cop that threatened Isaac?” The kids take matters into their own hands and the reader embarks on a suspenseful and action packed ride with these unforgettable young heroes.

"I read 'The Grey Ghost' with pleasure. I find it a fine offering for young adult fiction with believable characters the reader can identify with. The character of Bud Cummins, big brother of our narrator, nine-year old Cally gives the reader a sense of leadership with his level-headedness. Bud sharpens Cally's character, who brings the adventure to the story. Isaac Washington, the siblings new found older friend is goodness in a world of evil, patience under pressure, the pure milk of human kindness, a gentle and believable figure. This is a genuinely comforting tale, not unlike the books I read (and depended on) as a kid: the hardy boy series, the Motor Boy series, etc." – Walter Wangerin, Jr.  American Book Award Winning Author