Based on true incidents, Diane Chamberlain has woven a touching, realistic story about civil rights, and social justice, just before LBJ is set to sign the voting rights bill into law in the summer of 1965. Set in the fictitious Derby County, North Carolina, The Last House on the Street gives a glimpse into the price that had to be paid to get voting rights to Black people in the Southern States.

Chamberlain’s characterization of Ellie, “a twenty-year-old white southerner smitten by social justice,” is simply brilliant. The author masterfully brings the reverberations of the incidents of 1965 into 2010, through the life of Kayla, with a touch of mystery thrown into it.

All in all, a satisfying read, that ought to leave you seriously concerned about how some red states are trying to wind the clock back, making voting hard on marginalized communities.