Review: Will's Race for Home

By Jewell Parker Rhodes

Little Brown & Company, 2025. Fiction. 256 pages.

Will is a young man whose father and family are working the land as sharecroppers in Texas. When Will's father comes home with the news that there is land available in Oklahoma to those who can stake and settle it, Will's father expresses his deep desire to go and claim land for their family. Will begs to be included, but his mother is reluctant to let him go. After input from the entire family, they decide that Will is ready for the responsibility.

Along the way Will and his father develop a deeper appreciation for each other, form deep friendship, discover hidden enemies, and encounter many challenges which force them to make difficult decisions. Will's father has to rely heavily on him, especially as they get closer to their final destination. Will's bravery is inspiring and commendable.

This book is full of many amazing elements: suspense, adventure, friends who become family, addressing prejudice, and the desire that everyone longs for a place to call their own. I always appreciate learning more about moments in history I am not as familiar with, and this book was informative while being incredibly entertaining.

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