The Steep and Thorny Way

A biracial teenager in 1920s Oregon grapples with her father's mysterious death while navigating a community steeped in KKK activity and racial hostility. Hanalee Denney discovers troubling questions about her father's fatal accident and begins to investigate, encountering resistance from local townspeople. Her search for truth leads her to Joe Adder, the teenage boy who struck her father with his car - but his story raises more questions than answers. With help from her father's ghost and an unlikely ally, Hanalee works to uncover a deeper conspiracy tied to eugenics laws, corrupt officials, and dangerous prejudices. The book combines elements of Hamlet with historical details about Oregon's discriminatory laws and social climate in the 1920s. Through Hanalee's story, the novel examines themes of justice, identity, and the human cost of institutionalized hatred.

Readers appreciate how the book addresses racism and intolerance in 1920s Oregon through a Hamlet-inspired story. Many note the effective blend of historical events with supernatural elements, and the authentic portrayal of prejudice against biracial people and LGBTQ individuals during this period. Readers highlight the strong character development, particularly the protagonist Hanalee's determination and growth. Several reviews mention the well-researched historical details about the KKK's presence in Oregon. Common criticisms include a slow-moving first half and confusion about the supernatural aspects. Some readers found the Hamlet parallels forced or distracting. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (40+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4/5 (15+ ratings) "The historical aspects were eye-opening, but the ghost story felt unnecessary" - Goodreads reviewer "Perfect balance of history and supernatural elements" - Amazon reviewer "Important topics, but pacing issues in the first half" - BookBrowse reviewer

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The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom The struggles of an orphaned Irish girl living among slaves in the antebellum South explores racism, belonging, and family bonds.

Montana 1948 by Larry Watson The son of a small-town sheriff uncovers dark secrets about prejudice and hate crimes against Native Americans in post-World War II America.

The Disappearing Man by Doug Peterson Based on true events, this tale follows an escaped slave who mails himself to freedom while exposing the realities of racism in 1840s Virginia.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez A Mexican American girl and African American boy form a forbidden connection in 1930s Texas amid racial tension and impending tragedy.

🌟 The novel's title comes from Shakespeare's "Hamlet," which serves as a parallel story throughout the book, reflecting themes of revenge and family betrayal. 🌿 Author Cat Winters extensively researched Oregon's history with the Ku Klux Klan, which was particularly active in the state during the 1920s, having up to 14,000 members in the Portland area alone. 🎭 The main character, Hanalee Denney, is loosely based on Hamlet, but reimagined as a biracial teenage girl in 1920s Oregon during Prohibition. 📜 The book addresses real historical laws, including Oregon's marriage ban between races which wasn't repealed until 1951, and anti-gay legislation of the 1920s. 🖋️ Cat Winters wrote the first draft of the novel in just six weeks, though she spent months researching the historical period beforehand.