Gus: Based on True Events

Living in Mississippi during the Depression-era 1920s was hard, but it could be even harder if you were Black.

Gus is the story of two very different worlds, in a time when the country was divided by race. Being born of a black mother and a white father means that Gus has access to one side of his heritage, but is forever denied the other. Haunted by the ghosts of a world he was never really a part of, coupled with his mother’s unresolved resentment towards him, young Gus’s life comes to a breaking point.

As a precocious twelve-year-old, Gus yearns for a better life, and the ongoing tensions at home force him to make an unimaginable choice. Deciding to hit the road alone, young Gus goes on the journey of a lifetime through the 1930s American South.

However, he’ll soon find out that the journey is more dangerous than he could ever imagine. Being alone and black during Mississippi's Jim Crow era could cost him his life. In his constant struggle to survive, Gus awakens a long dormant part of himself.

Will his new extrasensory abilities be enough to save him?

Far from his destination and with no way home, Gus feels the entire universe is conspiring to keep him from his goal. Will he be able to find himself a home, or will he abandon all hope and become another victim in an era of hate?

Find out in Gus, an exciting novella that chronicles a young boy’s journey to find his place in the world, and his brush with the impossible as he discovers his own extrasensory abilities—abilities which come from his mysterious lineage. A work of historical fiction based on real-life events, Gus is a vivid, cinematic-style retelling of one boy’s search for answers that will keep you glued to the page until the very end.

A great read!

"GUS: Based on True Events" is a powerful story that feels almost like a Huckleberry Finn novel. Its strong family center is what gives the book a powerful sense of emotion. You will find the book hard to put down as you go from one step of Gus's journey to the next. The author does a great job of engaging the reader not only in the story but in the history of the time.
This short novel is well worth the read and will take most readers a few hours to read. Highly recommend if you are trying to get into powerful shorter stories.

Good Read

This book is a real page turner. I could not put this book down. I rooted for Gus as he risked everything on his dangerous journey through rural Mississippi. Thanks to G.S. Willis for writing such an entertaining book.