Bobby Lee Claremont and the Criminal Element

Bobby Lee lost his mother and has lived with the Sisters of Charitable Mercy since. He is tired of being poor and, with all the logic of a 13-year-old boy, he decides to leave New Orleans and move to Chicago to enter a life of crime. What could possibly go wrong? Bobby Lee finds himself in a train car with a young widow and her baby, three sketchy guys traveling with her, and a New Orleans cop. Bobby Lee makes friends with the widow, and suddenly everyone seems interested in him, who he talks to, and what he has to say. He also finds some allies in Leon and Terrance, two African-American boys working with their grandfather, a porter on the train. The two introduce Bobby Lee to some fascinating people and interesting ideas.

Author Jeannie Mobley tells a compelling story that has at its core a hard look at the Jim Crow laws prevalent in the south in the early 20th century and how they affected people of color. Mobley has clearly done her homework and takes her readers to the 1920s with great descriptions, finely-drawn characters, and crisp writing. Don’t miss this one.