Innocence on Trial
In the small mill town of Alcolu, South Carolina, twelve-year-old Ikrist Raya’s life shatters the day he’s accused of a terrible crime he didn’t commit. Poor, Black, and voiceless in a town ruled by whispers and fear, Ikrist finds himself locked in a cold jail cell while the sheriff and his deputies weave lies to bury him for good.
But behind the walls of his cell, a quiet storm gathers. His mother, Anna Raya, refuses to stand down. His father, Caleb, finds his courage in the mill yard. A young preacher, Elijah Carter, risks his name and safety to bring the truth into the light. And an outsider from Charleston, Silas Pratt, carries Ikrist’s story far beyond the pines — onto front pages, into courtrooms, and to the governor’s door.
As threats turn to flames and secrets turn to headlines, the Raya family stands against a system built to break them. In the face of a sheriff’s rope and a town’s silence, they fight for one thing that can’t be burned, beaten, or buried: Ikrist’s name — and the truth that it carries.
Innocence on Trial is a powerful, heart-wrenching novel inspired by the true injustices faced by the forgotten and the voiceless. It’s a story of family, faith, and the stubborn light that lives in even the darkest places — a reminder that a name, once spoken bravely, can outlive any jail cell.
