A Shot in the Moonlight

In "A Sad, Strange Destiny," bestselling author Ben Montgomery recounts the compelling true story of George Dinning, a freed slave wrongfully accused of theft in the Jim Crow south. After being attacked by a mob in 1897, Dinning's act of self-defense ignites a remarkable legal battle, making him the first Black man in America to win damages after a wrongful murder conviction. With riveting detail and a wealth of never-before-published material, the narrative explores the unusual alliance between Dinning and a Confederate war hero-turned-lawyer, highlighting the complexities of justice in a turbulent era.