Artemesia Publishing

Home

Titles

Rights

Contact

About Us

For
Booksellers

For
Authors

Book Information

Reviews

Awards

The New Frontier
*The New Frontier* Author: Wayne L. Wilson ISBN: 9781951122874 (paperback) ISBN: 9781951122881 (ebook) Publication Date: May 14, 2024 Price: $15.95 Pages: TBD When you are a Black family in 1961 Los Angeles, how do you protect your White neighbors from a real-life bogeyman living in their midst? "For the very first time my dark skin felt uncomfortable on my body." The Coles are a Black family from a small southern town who are trying to reap the golden harvest of jobs and a better lifestyle that Los Angeles, California proclaims during the era of President Kennedy's "New Frontier". When these pioneers move to an all-White neighborhood, they discover that their kind is not welcome. Poignant and humorous, this coming-of-age story is narrated by 12-year-old Samuel Scott Cole whose innocent and imaginative observations impart how this life-changing event affects him and his parents. Before moving Samuel lived in a neighborhood where skin color didn't matter, a place where kids played cowboys and Indians, competed in lunch pail wars, and talked about werewolves, molemen, vampires, and the bogeyman. Samuel doesn't fit in to this new community and is being ostracized and facing bigotry. Through it all Samuel manages to make one true friend he can rely on. The two unexpectedly encounter a real-life bogeyman and murderer who lurks within the neighborhood. Read the first chapters!

The New Frontier

The New Frontier

Author: Wayne L. Wilson
ISBN: 9781951122874 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781951122881 (ebook)
Publication Date: May 14, 2024
Price: $15.95
Pages: TBD

When you are a Black family in 1961 Los Angeles, how do you protect your White neighbors from a real-life bogeyman living in their midst?

"For the very first time my dark skin felt uncomfortable on my body."

The Coles are a Black family from a small southern town who are trying to reap the golden harvest of jobs and a better lifestyle that Los Angeles, California proclaims during the era of President Kennedy's "New Frontier". When these pioneers move to an all-White neighborhood, they discover that their kind is not welcome. Poignant and humorous, this coming-of-age story is narrated by 12-year-old Samuel Scott Cole whose innocent and imaginative observations impart how this life-changing event affects him and his parents.

Before moving Samuel lived in a neighborhood where skin color didn't matter, a place where kids played cowboys and Indians, competed in lunch pail wars, and talked about werewolves, molemen, vampires, and the bogeyman. Samuel doesn't fit in to this new community and is being ostracized and facing bigotry. Through it all Samuel manages to make one true friend he can rely on. The two unexpectedly encounter a real-life bogeyman and murderer who lurks within the neighborhood.

Read the first chapters!

Back to the top.

Reviews and Endorsements
Pacific Book Review "Why should you read this book? Because it offers more than just a historical recount; it reflects the past's ongoing dialogue with the present. It challenges readers to reflect on how they view family, community, and society. The book serves as a reminder of the struggles which have shaped communities, and a call to be mindful of the paths ahead. For anyone drawn to the intersections of personal history and immense societal movements, or for those who seek a story rich with emotional and historical layers, The New Frontier is an essential read. Wayne L. Wilson doesn't just tell a story; he invites you into it, urging you to witness the literal and metaphorical fires that forge the strength of the human spirit." Read the Full Review Donovan's Bookshelf "Enhanced by subplots involving friendships, the comparison between Sam's experience in his old LA neighborhood and his new California home and the circumstances of bigotry which swirl around his family and lead them into controversy and trouble, middle grade to young adult readers receive a close inspection. All the events are strengthened by Wilson's choice of the first person, which provides a "you are here" feel to Sam's experiences. Libraries seeking fictional examples of racism in America's history would do well to add The New Frontier to their libraries and recommended reading lists." Read the Full Review Publishers Weekly (BookLife) "Wilson's writing is fresh and enlivening, and the novel pulses with the talk and culture of the period. Ray Charles is on the turntable and the twist is the latest craze hitting the dance floor... The New Frontier will appeal to young readers, but Wilson's humor and his main character's distinctive voice will draw in a more seasoned readership as well." Read the Full Review Kirkus Reviews "...Wilson infuses the story with moments of levity and... charming dialogue... touching on the inner lives of Black people who believed in promised new beginnings during the tail end of the Great Migration."

Reviews and Endorsements

Pacific Book Review
"Why should you read this book? Because it offers more than just a historical recount; it reflects the past's ongoing dialogue with the present. It challenges readers to reflect on how they view family, community, and society. The book serves as a reminder of the struggles which have shaped communities, and a call to be mindful of the paths ahead. For anyone drawn to the intersections of personal history and immense societal movements, or for those who seek a story rich with emotional and historical layers, The New Frontier is an essential read. Wayne L. Wilson doesn't just tell a story; he invites you into it, urging you to witness the literal and metaphorical fires that forge the strength of the human spirit."

Read the Full Review

Donovan's Bookshelf
"Enhanced by subplots involving friendships, the comparison between Sam's experience in his old LA neighborhood and his new California home and the circumstances of bigotry which swirl around his family and lead them into controversy and trouble, middle grade to young adult readers receive a close inspection. All the events are strengthened by Wilson's choice of the first person, which provides a "you are here" feel to Sam's experiences.

Libraries seeking fictional examples of racism in America's history would do well to add The New Frontier to their libraries and recommended reading lists."

Read the Full Review

Publishers Weekly (BookLife)
"Wilson's writing is fresh and enlivening, and the novel pulses with the talk and culture of the period. Ray Charles is on the turntable and the twist is the latest craze hitting the dance floor... The New Frontier will appeal to young readers, but Wilson's humor and his main character's distinctive voice will draw in a more seasoned readership as well."

Read the Full Review

Kirkus Reviews "...Wilson infuses the story with moments of levity and... charming dialogue... touching on the inner lives of Black people who believed in promised new beginnings during the tail end of the Great Migration."

Back to the top.

Awards

Back to the top.

Home

Titles

Rights

Contact

About Us

For
Booksellers

For
Authors