HF Book Review - Black Cloud Rising

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Black Cloud Rising, by David Wright Falade, follows the experiences of a regiment of United States Colored Troops as they rout out Confederate guerillas along the Outer Banks. Based on the life of a real man, Richard Etheridge, the novel examines the many ways in which the newly freed slaves who have joined the Union Army must deal with conflicting loyalties and uncertain status. Etheridge is a sympathetic narrator, one of a number of well drawn characters, many based on real men who led and served with the African Brigade (General Edward A. Wild is a major part of the story). An epilog describes Etheridge's noteworthy post war life. Highly recommended.