Stemming from the author's prior studies of Catholic desegregation in several US states, Newman's latest book is a more comprehensive study of the entire American South, mapping the various historical, sociological and theological currents moulding the checkered cultural landscape of Catholic reactions to desegregation from Richmond to San Antonio. The author heeds the methodological premise of R. Bentley Anderson that any survey of such complex terrain must first immerse itself in the individual histories of each diocese and archdiocese, an intimidating if not insurmountable task. Newman rises to the challenge, and the author's claim to be the first to provide such a survey seems warranted. The work draws from extensive archival research from every region of the former Confederacy (eleven states in total). In doing so, the book outlines not only contrasting institutional responses among bishops, religious orders and organisations but also tremendous dissonance among ordinary lay Catholics, both white and black. Through his original research, including personal interviews, Newman's retrieval of many neglected Black Catholic voices and their experience of desegregation complements Cyprian Davis's watershed history (including its much-anticipated posthumous revision by Cecilia Moore). Likewise, the work is a timely contribution to national conversations on race and religion in US history and, albeit unwittingly, a poignant echo of the US Catholic episcopate's call for healing in its recent pastoral letter on race.

The book's greatest strength lies in its honest impartiality. The author's assessment of motives for either embracing or resisting the desegregation of Catholic institutions avoids any dramatisation of heroes and villains while demonstrating a firm grasp on Catholic theological and ecclesiastical nuances. Despite occasional repetition, the thematic organisation of the book is ideal for researchers or graduate seminars. However, the book's organisation also risks overwhelming the reader. Any thread of focus or argument in each chapter unravels with a regrettable lack of subheadings. A constant shifting between dioceses, bishops and religious leaders easily confuses the reader and clouds any clear regional comparisons between metropolitan sees. Additionally, documentation curiously omits the archives of key dioceses in Tennessee and Arkansas (although the author seems to find alternative collections to fill in lacunae). Nevertheless, the book remains a splendid contribution to American political and religious history, as well as to the study of Church-State relations. US Catholic scholarship is deeply indebted to this study's exceptional and invaluable research, and one hopes that future scholars will place Newman's work in conversation with the history of Catholics and race in the North and West.