The Green Book by Alvin Hall

Victor Green was working as a New York postman in 1936 when he saw the need for an informative directory of safe places for black travelers. Not only did The Green Book list favorable motels, restaurants and service stations with usable restrooms but also included Negro colleges and schools to visit and vacation resorts- all updated regularly and only 25 cents. He sold , delivered and updated his published guide through word of mouth and mail. We all make a checklist before a trip making sure the car is ok, hotel reservations are made and a clear route is picked out and if something goes wrong we can adapt easily enough. For black families, musicians and businessmen no trip was this easy. You left the house before sunrise to avoid as much interaction as possible, packed shoebox food for roadside picnics and made sure you were off the road and not in a sundown town by nightfall plus you made sure your car was travel worthy as any detour could bring danger. Just like owning a car this guide gave them freedom and peace of mind. This is a riveting roadtrip in two parts - the first is a historical sense of what life was like for travelers and a visit to many of the towns along the way and the second is a personal accounting of The Great Migration and Civil Rights Movement. For all the personal stories of happy family roadtrips there are also horrific accounts of racism and injustice nationwide not just in the deep South.  4 stars