Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly A Story of the Wilmington Massacre.

"Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly" by Jack Thorne is a late 19th-century historical novel that thrusts the reader into the heart of the 1898 Wilmington Massacre, where racial prejudice ignites a city. The story paints a vivid picture of the dangerous environment faced by both Black and some white residents in Wilmington, North Carolina, as politically fueled violence threatens to rip their lives to shreds. The book follows the editor of a Black newspaper who bravely defends his beliefs, while also showing the actions of scheming white leaders who are determined to stir up hatred and incite violence to seize power. As the novel begins, the city is filled with the aftermath of the riots following a heated election, setting the stage for the racial tensions that will play out. With intimidation and the threat of violence as tools, we learn about the organized political groups determined to control the government during this period. A spark of hope appears when a newspaper owner refuses to surrender his position on injustice, but characters like the Colonel seek only to establish white domination despite the moral implications, ensuring that a tragic climax is inevitable, and the fight for justice has only begun.