Holy shit, I read this book as a kid and it made a big impression on me as a white kid living in a very white area. But I couldn't remember the name of it or enough details to google it. This is it! I knew it the second I read this, and then confirmed it. I read it almost 50 years ago. Thank you, thank you for writing this.

I wish you the best. This year my sister died at 52 (car wreck) and that, along with some troubling health issues of my own, has me contemplating my mortality more than ever before. It's not easy. Hugs.