A little southern history

"Fire Bell in the Night" written by Geoffrey S. Edwards explores tension between North and South, black and white, that gripped Charleston, South Carolina in the summer of 1850. John Sharp is sent by the New York Tribune to cover the trial of Darcy Calhoun, a farmer accused of harboring a fugitive slave. As the trial begins, John quickly realizes that not everything is as it appears in the genteel city of Charleston. A series of mysterious fires in white establishments brings the state militia, a curfew for the black population, and rising tension at the courthouse. The story was gripping and the similarities between slavery in the south and the abuses in the industrial New York City slums are brought to light. Very good read and a definite page turner.