WHEN THE CENTER HELD TRUE

Corley Dennison's novel When the Center Held True is a compelling coming-of-age story pitting a keen sense of social justice against entrenched white supremacy in

1960s small-town America.

Old Virginia is dying, and a new Virginia is being created.

Young Clay Spurgeon earns the starting slot at center on his high-school football team. He almost immediately clashes with his coach, Sammy Suggs, a bigot, an alcoholic and a defender of the Old South.

Then the U.S. Supreme Court invalidates Virginia's freedom-of-choice system, mandating full integration of the public schools.

Some on the team are willing to resist by any means possible, putting Clay at mortal risk.

Clay makes his disc jockey debut at a pool party and is

"discovered by a local radio personality, whose Saturday night show is "You Got the Beat with Pete." This leads to Clay getting a gig on radio and also as a stringer-reporter for UPI, which thrills his girlfriend, Deanna.

The new job, however, places him at the heart of the social upheaval in the town of Jeffery Courthouse with its dark threat of violence.