In the 1950s, many families took long family-oriented summer vacations. As the summers went by, Sally Jarman became more aware of the WHITES ONLY and COLORED signs. She also saw other evidences of social inequalities and realities of racial segregation. Sally was just a teenager when she learned to see with her heart and lost her innocence. In Road to Awakening, she looks back to her memories of one of the greatest lessons she ever learned. It was a lesson that strongly influenced the development of her character.
Sally Jarman is spending her summer vacation with her grandparents when she discovers that her grandfather is a member of the KKK. As the heat rises, tempers flare in the small, segregated town of Mossville, Texas. Defying her grandfather’s orders and determined to understand the hatred that has poisoned his heart, Sally befriends a young black girl, Zora Mae, and a group of intriguing drifters who live in a derelict train depot.
With their help, Sally decides to stand up to injustice and organize an interracial event that could change everything for the town. When her grandfather discovers her plans, violence ensues. Will Sally and her friends be able to bring peace and hope to the town, despite the bigotry of many of the town’s white residents?
Road to Awakening is a moving and thought-provoking lesson in tolerance that accurately reflects the linguistic reality of the time.
