by Gilbert King
First published 2018
In December 1957, a Florida citrus baron's wife reports being raped by a black man. Sheriff Willis McCall, known for his racist methods, rounds up the usual suspects but then shifts focus to Jesse Daniels, a mentally impaired white nineteen-year-old. Without a trial, Jesse gets committed to a state mental hospital. Journalist Mabel Norris Reese finds the case troubling and begins investigating. She spends years following leads and building connections to uncover what really happened. Her persistence reveals a shocking conspiracy that silenced an entire community. King traces how the fear of integration fueled extreme racism that destroyed innocent lives and corrupted those in power. The investigation exposes layers of protection and cover-up in a small Southern town grappling with social change.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: conspiracy, cover-up, social-justice
Setting: Florida
Period: 1957
640 pages · Paperback · Random House Large Print
Content warnings: ableism, racism