Hog Butcher

More about the book

Set against the backdrop of summer in Chicago's South Side, the story follows ten-year-old boys Earl and Wilford, who idolize their basketball role model, Nathaniel "Cornbread" Hamilton. Their lives take a tragic turn when Cornbread is wrongfully identified by two police officers as a burglary suspect, leading to a violent encounter. This incident not only shatters the boys' dreams but also has profound repercussions for their community, highlighting themes of racial tension and the loss of innocence.