Pat's (Slightly Persnickety) BookBlog

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Although Tom Franklin's latest novel officially falls into the "crime fiction" category, it is oh, so much more that that!  It is a fine example of what literary critics have labeled "Southern Gothic." Southern Gothic generally features several deeply-flawed characters and sinister events relating to or coming from poverty, alienation, racism, crime, and violence. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter has it all, and a tightly written story as well.

The plot centers around the mysterious disappearances, twenty-five years apart, of two young women in the deep South hamlet of Chabot, Mississippi. But the true center of the story is the relationship between two men, one black, one white, who shared a boyhood friendship for one intense summer.

The first young woman disappeared either during or following the one and only date 16 year-old Larry Ott experienced. Never actually accused or arrested in connection with her disappearance, Larry lives the next twenty-five years in the same small town of his unhappy, solitary youth; ostracized and incredibly lonely, judged guilty by the townsfolk of this decaying, decrepit community.

Now a second woman has vanished and Larry finds himself once again at the center of the investigation. With absolutely no one to turn to, Larry's sad life takes an even darker turn.

Larry's only boyhood friend, Silas Jones, has returned to town as the Deputy and has plenty of his own baggage to deal with; not the least of which is his sense of betrayal and guilt related to his failed friendship with Larry.

This story has layer upon layer upon layer of revelations, past and present, that paint an unforgettable portrait of racism deeply ingrained into a small-town culture and the power of hate, love, betrayal and forgiveness.

"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" is definitely one of my two favorite books that I've read this summer.  It is absolutely a gripping page-turner and a gut-wrenching, heart-tugging saga. In its portrayal of all that is good and evil in human nature, it reminded me very much of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Boo Radley and Larry Ott: both achingly lonely and ill-fortuned. And, thank the gods, the good guys: Atticus Finch and.... (no spoilers from me!!)

Read it!!!