Cry Me a River — Ernest Hill

An absentee father from a "no good" family, Tyrone Stokes was imprisoned for shooting a man in a convenience store. His wife, Pauline, saw her chance to end their marriage and raise their son, Marcus, on her own. Now Tyrone has returned to Brownsville, Louisiana, to discover that his boy needs help--help that Tyrone is desperate to give, if he can only figure out how.

Marcus has been convicted of the rape and murder of a young white girl. An execution date is set, and the rumor in town is that the Governor will refuse clemency. Tyrone is convinced that Marcus is innocent--but he is also wracked by knowledge of all the ways in which he has failed his son. Then there's the stack of evidence against Marcus, plus the testimony of two eyewitnesses. Against all these odds, Tyrone sets out to keep Marcus alive--and perhaps put his family back together again.

In vivid and evocative prose, rich with the rituals and rhythms of Southern life, Ernest Hill has created a cast of characters made unforgettable by their flawed humanity. Raw, compelling, and searingly honest, Cry Me A River is a testament to the strength that can be found in love and family loyalty, and the ways in which it can save us.