LonglistedfortheNationalBookAwardinNonfiction“Powerfulanddeeplymoving.“--LosAngelesTimes*ShortlistedfortheMuseumofAfricanAmericanHistory’sStoneBookAward*NationalCouncilonPublicHistoryBookAwardHonorableMentionFromagroundbreakingscholar,aheart-wrenchingreexaminationofthestruggleforsurvivalintheReconstruction-eraSouth,andwhatitcost.ThestoryofReconstructionisoftentoldfromtheperspectiveofthepoliticians,generals,andjournalistswhoseaccountsclaimanoutsizedplaceincollectivememory.ButthispivotaleralookedverydifferenttoAfricanAmericansintheSouthtransitioningfrombondagetofreedomafter1865.Theywerebesiegedbyacampaignofwhitesupremacistviolencethatpersistedthroughthe1880sandbeyond.Fortoolong,theirlivedexperienceshavebeensidelined,impoverishingourunderstandingoftheobstaclespost-CivilWarBlackfamiliesfaced,theirinspiringdeterminationtosurvive,andthephysicalandemotionalscarstheyborebecauseofit.InISawDeathComing,KidadaE.Williamsoffersabreakthroughaccountofthemuch-debatedReconstructionperiod,transportingreadersintothedailyexistenceofformerlyenslavedpeoplebuildinghope-fillednewlives.Drawingonoverlookedsourcesandboldnewreadingsofthearchives,Williamsoffersarevelatoryand,insomecases,minute-by-minuterecordofnighttimeraidsandKuKluxKlanstrikes.Andshedeployscutting-edgescholarshipontraumatoconsiderhowtheeffectsoftheseattackswouldlingerfordecades--indeed,generations--tocome.ForreadersofCarolAnderson,TiyaMiles,andClintSmith,ISawDeathComingisanindelibleandessentialbookthatspeakstosomeofthemostpressingquestionsofourtimes.
