A Conversation with Roger Newman, author of the novel, BOYS

American Timelines

Author Roger Newman joins Artstar and Joe to discuss his novel, BOYS.

Imagine a young boy whose family is killed by the Ku Klux Klan during the Great Depression and is raised by the farmer whose farm he hides on, alongside the farmer’s son. The two boys—one Black, one White— come to view themselves as brothers.

When the brothers head off to fight in segregated military units in World War II, they are separated by diverging military careers and escalating racial hostility.

This is the true story of South Carolina author Roger Newman’s North Carolina family, and the inspiration for his fifth novel, BOYS, newly released on January 14 (Koehler Books). Newman was compelled to write the book after learning about his Black uncle who disappeared during World War II.

BOYS, which has been touted by Kirkus as “A powerful and nuanced novel about racial tensions in 20th-century America,” paints a vivid picture of many lesser-known aspects of history, from service in WWII to Vietnam and beyond.