Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
by Tom Franklin
★★★★☆
I rated this one shortly after finishing it, now almost two months have passed and I hadn’t reviewed it yet (bad book blogger). As I started to write the review I was second-guessing my rating, but the more I thought about the book, the more I remembered why I liked it so much.
The beauty of the book lies not in the twists or the turns of the plot, though those are wonderful, but in the characters themselves. The main two characters are both incredibly flawed and you aren’t sure how you feel about them. Your opinion of them may vary as more details are revealed, but you’re still left feeling deep sympathy and attachment to them.
Silas and Larry meet as young boys. Silas is black, Larry is white and they live in Mississippi during the 1970s, but somehow they form a bond. Their lives are taken in drastically different directions as they grow up. Larry was accused of kidnapping and murdering a young woman while he was a teenager and though he was never convicted, the shadow of the accusation has tainted his entire life. Silas, on the other hand, left town for college, returning to his hometown years later to live a respectable life as a constable. He hides the fact that he and Larry used to be friends.
This story has layers of secrets and the descriptions of the south are perfect. It moves quickly and is incredibly hard to put down. It’s not a thriller, it’s just wonderfully paced. It's a great read for anyone who loves well-drawn characters or a just a good, dark story.
Here are a few more reviews of this southern gem…
books i done read
Books and Movies
Eclectic/Eccentric
I read this for the R.I.P. Challenge hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings.
For more R.I.P reviews visit here.
7 comments:
I liked this one as well. Don't fell bad, it seems I am always forcing myself to sit down and write book reviews. It kind of takes the fun out of reading sometimes for me:(
I listened to this audio last year for one of my book clubs, and I think I gave it five stars. Simply an incredible, southern book. And Franklin is a first class guy. He called our book club and charmed us all, then I got to meet him at SIBA. (Swapna reviewed this book today too)
I read this book last year and really liked it. Good to hear that others like it too!
Diane - I agree, sometimes it's stressful when the reviews pile up. I got quite a bit behind when I was out of town and now I'm in catch-up mode.
Sandy - I love that you got to meet him and talk to him with your book club. That's awesome!
DesLily - It's a good one!
Even after all this time, even as the details of the plot escape me, I can still feel the atmosphere of this story!
I really enjoyed this one, and am very much looking forward to his next book. Thanks for linking to my review!
Trisha - I feel the same way. The details almost felt secondary.
Carrie K. - Me too!
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