They Stole a City by Lauren Collins
As a child born and educated in Wilmington, North Carolina, who—like so many others—knew nothing of this massacre until adulthood, I am always grateful to see new scholarship on this topic. The author’s care in tying history to present conditions for descendants of the massacre makes this a particularly noteworthy document. Even the Philly Deli makes an appearance. Excellent work, which gives me hope more will eventually come to light in my lifetime.
They Stole a City by Lauren Collins, (List Price: $32, Penguin Press, 9781984878816, July 2026)
Reviewed by Alissa, South Main Book Company in Salisbury, NC
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“My dad never spoke much about his family growing up. I knew some basics. He had grown up in Hawaii. His Aunt Ruth lived in New York, and his parents had passed. So when he called me and said Aunt Ruth wants to meet you, do you want to go meet her? I was like, so excited. This was like finally a step into my father’s past. We drove to Charleston and went and met my Aunt Ruth and we walked in and she was just this sweet little old lady. We sat and had a great conversation. I was really enjoying getting to know her. And on the coffee table next to where she was sitting, I noticed this wedding picture, and I looked at it. And I’m like, Oh, are those my grandparents? And she nodded, Yes. And I was like, Can you tell me something about them? My father never speaks of them. And she just sat there and didn’t respond. [I asked] Can you tell me anything? How did they meet, when did they get married? And she cut me off and she said, You have a good life. Don’t ruin it with the past.”
