Red and Black

"Red and Black" by Grace S. Richmond is a story from the early 1900s that looks at the lives of a young minister, Robert McPherson Black, and a practical doctor, Dr. Redfield Pepper Burns. It shows how different their jobs and personalities are and how they handle what society wants from them versus what they want for themselves. At the start, Black is unsure about his new job at the church, and Burns is a busy doctor who shows up late and leaves early. Though Black looks up to Burns’s energy, he thinks he's a bit too young, and Burns, even though he's doubtful, is interested in Black's true intentions. This first part of the book puts in motion ideas about friendship, doing what you’re supposed to do, and the hard parts about being who you are in a small town.