The Bootheel

Placeholder author icon
By Burleigh Leonard ’73

Published Dec. 15, 2025

Set in Missouri in the 1950s, The Bootheel (independently published) follows the story of a newly ordained white Minister and his family who moved to the southeastern corner of the state. Upon arriving, he discovers he will be leading an all-Black congregation and navigates their suspicions toward him, wishing his desire to build a community based on faith and respect. This minister soon becomes embroiled in an election campaign to unseat a racist official, which escalates into racial violence. In the end, he must choose between protecting his family and his parishioners.

Paw in print

Image
The January 2026 cover of PAW, featuring a man and a woman and the headline "Empower Couple."
The Latest Issue

January 2026

Giving big with Kwanza Jones ’93 and José E. Feliciano ’94; Elizabeth Tsurkov freed; small town wonderers.