nBrenda Willis Otis's book, The Debt, is a beautifully written story of love, hope, strength and resilience amidst the dangers and anxieties of life in a small Georgia town. In it, she masterfully brings to life the richness of African American culture, history and wisdom of the 1940s American South, against the backdrop of World War II in Europe and the growing storm of racism here at home. Her salt-of-the-earth characters are filled with the indomitable spirit of the ancestors who, through the ages have triumphed even in the worst of times. ---Nell Braxton Gibson, Authorn n nn nThis charming story takes us to a world and period known by very few readers---the deep South in the '40's.

Even fewer people know anything about the middle class black community during this period. Readers will experience this world through the eyes of a young colored woman--a teacher who falls in love with a musician who's drafted into the segregated Army during wartime. The book provides a great opportunity to think about the complexity of relationships, race, class, and love. ---Freeman A.

Hrabowski, President Emeritus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)n