Cynthia T. Toney

Cynthia T. Toney writes contemporary and historical fiction for young readers, often combining mystery, family pressure, and moral choice. The Other Side of Freedom is her historical coming-of-age novel set in a Louisiana farming community during Prohibition. Thirteen-year-old Salvatore Scaviano and his Italian immigrant father become unwilling witnesses to a crime, leaving Sal to weigh loyalty against the need to clear his father’s name. The novel also addresses prejudice, rural labor, and friendship through Sal’s family, his friend Antonina, and farmhand Hiram. Write Integrity Press published the book, which later received honors in several independent and faith-oriented book programs. Toney’s other principal project is the Bird Face series, beginning with 8 Notes to a Nobody and continuing through three sequels. Her background includes advertising design and marketing, while her art-education degree included a history minor. The Other Side of Freedom brings those historical interests into a tightly focused young-reader narrative.