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The best bad luck I ever had

Kristin Levine - Author

Dit and Emma’s friendship develops amid racial prejudice in 1917 Alabama. When a Black barber is condemned after a trial, they make a daring plan to save him.

More about this book

The last thing Harry "Dit" Sims expects when Emma Walker comes to town is to become friends. Proper -talking, brainy Emma doesn't play baseball or fi sh too well, but she sure makes Dit think, especially about the differences between black and white. But soon Dit is thinking about a whole lot more when the town barber, who is black, is put on trial for a terrible crime. Together Dit and Emma come up with a daring plan to save him from the unthinkable.Set in 1917 and inspired by the author's true family history, this is the poignant story of a remarkable friendship and the perils of small-town justice

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Friendship· ChallengedRace· ChallengedPrejudice· Challenged

Consider

Violence and harmDiscrimination or prejudiceViolence

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

friendshipraceprejudice

FictionNovel

Themes in Context

Friendship across racial difference

Dit and Emma become friends despite their differences, and their relationship challenges accepted ways of thinking.

How the book presents it: The framing presents prejudice and accepted racial divisions as challenges to be questioned, rather than as unquestioned norms.

Talk about: What changes in Dit’s thinking as his friendship with Emma develops?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The story links a close friendship with questions about race and justice, giving readers a way into how accepted community attitudes can be challenged.

What Deserves Attention

The plot includes a Black barber’s trial and condemnation, with the children trying to save him.

A Conversation Worth Having

If the story’s portrayal of the trial differs from what you expect, what seems to shape your view of whether the outcome is just?

Reading Approach

Read together if useful, pausing to compare Dit and Emma’s perspectives on race and friendship. The trial’s outcome and its treatment may be worth revisiting after finishing.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Friendship across racial difference: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had - Kristin Sims Levine - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Friendship across racial difference

The best bad luck I ever had by Kristin Levine | Open Library