The Reformatory

Robbie Stephens Jr. is twelve years old. His young age doesn’t prevent him from being sent to The Reformatory for six months. The official name is the Gracetown School for Boys, where boys who misbehave are sent in order to reform them. Robbie will soon discover that there is nothing redeeming about the school and that most boys become ghosts, rather than reformed. Growing up in the South in the 1950s is hard, especially if you aren’t the right color and say one wrong thing. Robbie’s sister is going to have to do everything she possibly can in order to save her brother from this nightmare.

This is a fictional story, but unfortunately many parts of it were not. While beautifully written, it was incredibly difficult to read in parts because of the dark truth of our country’s history. The author’s personal ties to the story shone through and you can feel her passion on the subject. It is a very dark tale, but well worth the read, if for no reason other than a reminder to treat everyone as a human being. No one, no matter their color, deserves what went on at that school.