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The Reformatory: A Novel
*Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner * New York Times Notable Book * Locus Award Finalist * Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and the Shirley Jackson Award *
“You’re in for a treat...one of those books you can’t put down...Due hit it out of the park.” —Stephen King
A gripping, page-turning “masterpiece” (Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman) set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.
Gracetown, Florida
June 1950
Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.
Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.
The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.
“You’re in for a treat...one of those books you can’t put down...Due hit it out of the park.” —Stephen King
A gripping, page-turning “masterpiece” (Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman) set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.
Gracetown, Florida
June 1950
Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.
Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.
The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.
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Community Reviews
Robbie and his journey through his time at the reformatory. The story is a telling of hope, commitment and courage during a time when he is only considered as black and being black in a time and place where you didn’t even exist to white folk. Being raised by his sister and coming into himself as a young black boy in the south. Life has dealt him a hand of cards and he has no choice but to play his hand, this game of survival in the dirty south. Evil is all around and for a boy who is left to figure things out on his own Robbie has to grow up faster than what his family would like. Robbie has a family that is determined to get justice for him. Gloria, Mizz Lottie, and uncle June but sometimes that’s just not enough, you have to get it for yourself. That’s the only way Robbie can make it out the Reformatory but he has to leave the 12yr old boy who first went in behind. He is has to fight against the devil himself and only one of them can win this fight.
Haunting, and terrible children juvenile detentions for children. Although its fiction, it was based on true stories of children who were mistreated and killed. And the injustice and unfairness between the law and african american people in florida 60 years ago.
Jaw-dropping plot twists, both living and supernatural horrors and heroes—this book had me glued to the pages from the outset. Time went by so quickly reading this that I was shocked to realize I'd breezed through more than 500 pages when all was said and done, but I could not put it down. Tananarive Due has crafted an amazing work of fiction, inlaid with factual nudges to remind readers of the atrocities humankind is capable of inflicting. I cannot speak highly enough of this book, and the author is now high on my list of favorites.
Also, so much love for Ms. Lottie. We need more Ms. Lottie's in the world.
Also, so much love for Ms. Lottie. We need more Ms. Lottie's in the world.
Amazing.
I read the blurb once a while back and didn't read it again before I read it, so I had thought this was a horror book. And indeed, horrific things occurred in this book, but it was more of a nail-biter at times and dark. The turns that happened occurred realistically, and everything that happened in this book was reflective of the times. I love the spiritual aspects tied into this book.
This book contained demons and angels of the flesh, the good, the bad, and the ugly. What was most impactful was that it was about things that happened in the South.
This was truly masterful.
I read the blurb once a while back and didn't read it again before I read it, so I had thought this was a horror book. And indeed, horrific things occurred in this book, but it was more of a nail-biter at times and dark. The turns that happened occurred realistically, and everything that happened in this book was reflective of the times. I love the spiritual aspects tied into this book.
This book contained demons and angels of the flesh, the good, the bad, and the ugly. What was most impactful was that it was about things that happened in the South.
This was truly masterful.
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