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A Calamity of Souls
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially-charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.
Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.
Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era.
Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.
Over a decade in the writing, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.
Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.
Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era.
Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.
Over a decade in the writing, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published April 16, 2024
About the author
David Baldacci
369 books119k followersDavid Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, "because every mom needs a break now and then.”)
David published his first novel, Absolute Power, in 1996; the feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 50 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers, and several have been adapted for film and television. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.
In addition to being a prolific writer, David is a devoted philanthropist, and his greatest efforts are dedicated to his family’s Wish You Well Foundation®. Established by David and his wife, Michelle, the Wish You Well Foundation supports family and adult literacy programs in the United States.
A lifelong Virginian, David is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia School of Law.
David published his first novel, Absolute Power, in 1996; the feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 50 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers, and several have been adapted for film and television. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers.
In addition to being a prolific writer, David is a devoted philanthropist, and his greatest efforts are dedicated to his family’s Wish You Well Foundation®. Established by David and his wife, Michelle, the Wish You Well Foundation supports family and adult literacy programs in the United States.
A lifelong Virginian, David is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia School of Law.
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April 26, 2024
“Maybe in a millennium, if the human race is still around, they might look back at this time and wonder how people could be so. . .cruel and wrong.”
Set in 1968 Freeman County, Virginia A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci revolves around a racially charged murder case and the lawyers representing the young Black man, a Vietnam War veteran, accused of murdering the affluent white couple who were his employers.
Representing Jerome Washington is criminal defense attorney, thirty-three-year-old John Robert “Jack” Lee, a White man and resident of Freeman County. Jack, despite being brought up to be respectful of everyone irrespective of the color of their skin or social class, has never done anything to raise his voice against racial discrimination and believes that this would be his chance to do the right thing – not an easy decision given the instant backlash he faces from his own community- both on the professional and personal front- and the threats directed toward him and his family members. Despite having Jerome’s best interests at heart, he is clearly out of his depth. He is approached by Desiree DuBose, an experienced Black lawyer from Chicago whose reputation precedes her. Desiree provides Jack with a much-needed reality check, helping him navigate the machinations of the prosecution who resort to every trick in the book to prevent Jerome from getting a fair trial. The narrative follows Jack and Desiree as they fight for justice for Jerome in the face of much adversity including personal threats from a racially divided community, political bigwigs who want to send a strong message to further their own agenda, and a corrupt criminal justice system that would readily convict an innocent Black man instead of searching for the real killer.
A long time in the making and a departure from his fast-paced action-packed thrillers, A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci is a brilliantly crafted, deeply thought-provoking novel that combines elements of literary fiction, legal and family drama, historical fiction and suspense. Though the premise might not strike you as completely new or original, the strength of this novel lies in its execution – the rich historical context, realistic characters, and intriguing murder mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the final reveal. The author does a commendable job of establishing the setting – the racial tension in years after the passing of the Civil Rights Act, the volatile socio-political landscape and a legal system conveniently manipulated by those wielding political and judicial power. Several sub-plots featuring Jack and his family members are seamlessly woven into the narrative, allowing us to get to know Jack as a person and follow his personal journey throughout the events described in this novel. Both Jack and Desiree are well-defined characters, as are the supporting characters, each of whom has a significant role to play. Jack and Desiree’s partnership isn’t necessarily an easy one. They are from diverse backgrounds and despite being motivated to do the right thing it is expected that they would be wary of one another initially and I loved how the author addresses the differences in their convictions and life experiences and as they gradually grow to respect the other’s perspective even though they might not always agree with one another.
Please note that this is not light reading. The author captures a time and place where racial tensions are high and needless to say, which features several nasty characters, racially motivated violence and upsetting dialogue, heavy with racial slurs. Some moments will break your heart and some will leave you seething with anger. Despite the length of the novel and the large cast of characters, at no point does the narrative become repetitive or difficult to follow. Relatively slower paced but intense and immersive, this is an exceptionally well-written novel.
David Baldacci is a master storyteller and this novel will definitely be considered among his best works - the kind of story that stays with you long after you turn the last page. I promptly ordered a personal copy for my collection as soon as I finished reading the ARC.
Do read the Author’s Note where he discusses his inspiration for this novel and the autobiographical elements that he incorporated into the narrative.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted ARC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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Set in 1968 Freeman County, Virginia A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci revolves around a racially charged murder case and the lawyers representing the young Black man, a Vietnam War veteran, accused of murdering the affluent white couple who were his employers.
Representing Jerome Washington is criminal defense attorney, thirty-three-year-old John Robert “Jack” Lee, a White man and resident of Freeman County. Jack, despite being brought up to be respectful of everyone irrespective of the color of their skin or social class, has never done anything to raise his voice against racial discrimination and believes that this would be his chance to do the right thing – not an easy decision given the instant backlash he faces from his own community- both on the professional and personal front- and the threats directed toward him and his family members. Despite having Jerome’s best interests at heart, he is clearly out of his depth. He is approached by Desiree DuBose, an experienced Black lawyer from Chicago whose reputation precedes her. Desiree provides Jack with a much-needed reality check, helping him navigate the machinations of the prosecution who resort to every trick in the book to prevent Jerome from getting a fair trial. The narrative follows Jack and Desiree as they fight for justice for Jerome in the face of much adversity including personal threats from a racially divided community, political bigwigs who want to send a strong message to further their own agenda, and a corrupt criminal justice system that would readily convict an innocent Black man instead of searching for the real killer.
A long time in the making and a departure from his fast-paced action-packed thrillers, A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci is a brilliantly crafted, deeply thought-provoking novel that combines elements of literary fiction, legal and family drama, historical fiction and suspense. Though the premise might not strike you as completely new or original, the strength of this novel lies in its execution – the rich historical context, realistic characters, and intriguing murder mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the final reveal. The author does a commendable job of establishing the setting – the racial tension in years after the passing of the Civil Rights Act, the volatile socio-political landscape and a legal system conveniently manipulated by those wielding political and judicial power. Several sub-plots featuring Jack and his family members are seamlessly woven into the narrative, allowing us to get to know Jack as a person and follow his personal journey throughout the events described in this novel. Both Jack and Desiree are well-defined characters, as are the supporting characters, each of whom has a significant role to play. Jack and Desiree’s partnership isn’t necessarily an easy one. They are from diverse backgrounds and despite being motivated to do the right thing it is expected that they would be wary of one another initially and I loved how the author addresses the differences in their convictions and life experiences and as they gradually grow to respect the other’s perspective even though they might not always agree with one another.
Please note that this is not light reading. The author captures a time and place where racial tensions are high and needless to say, which features several nasty characters, racially motivated violence and upsetting dialogue, heavy with racial slurs. Some moments will break your heart and some will leave you seething with anger. Despite the length of the novel and the large cast of characters, at no point does the narrative become repetitive or difficult to follow. Relatively slower paced but intense and immersive, this is an exceptionally well-written novel.
David Baldacci is a master storyteller and this novel will definitely be considered among his best works - the kind of story that stays with you long after you turn the last page. I promptly ordered a personal copy for my collection as soon as I finished reading the ARC.
Do read the Author’s Note where he discusses his inspiration for this novel and the autobiographical elements that he incorporated into the narrative.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted ARC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
April 17, 2024
***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***
The premise of the novel isn’t entirely new - there have been other books about lawyers who take up the fight against racism in representing black clients unjustly accused. This novel however excels because of it’s characters!!
It’s 1968 in southern Virginia, Fremont county, and a black man has been arrested for the murder of the wealthy white couple for whom he has worked for years.
This story grabbed me from the first pages and didn’t let go. We are immediately thrust into the vitriol hatred that many of the white citizens had towards their black neighbors. The beginning scenes can be hard to stomach - but we know that these things occurred - and still occur today.
Jack is a local white lawyer, he has never tried a murder case, but he is convinced of the man’s innocence.
The case catches the attention of a black female lawyer, Desiree DuBose, from Chicago. She works many cases through the Legal Defense Fund and she wants to add her skills to this case.
In time the two make a great pair. They will go through many obstacles including: handpicking the judge, allowing an entirely white jury, even threats on their lives, and more
I will leave you to discover the incredible plot that unfolds throughout the book. It will make you sad, make you cry but in the end feel hope! There are still good people who are willing to continue the fight against racism.
**The author’s note explains that this book has taken him over a decade to write. He put it aside to work on other projects however this story kept coming back to him. It also explains how some parts of the novel are “autobiographical elements in this story”. I really appreciated the notes at the beginning rather than the end of the novel - they explain a lot!
I highly recommend this standalone novel from David Baldacci. It is really unlike any other book I have read by this author and is perhaps his best novel ever.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
The premise of the novel isn’t entirely new - there have been other books about lawyers who take up the fight against racism in representing black clients unjustly accused. This novel however excels because of it’s characters!!
It’s 1968 in southern Virginia, Fremont county, and a black man has been arrested for the murder of the wealthy white couple for whom he has worked for years.
This story grabbed me from the first pages and didn’t let go. We are immediately thrust into the vitriol hatred that many of the white citizens had towards their black neighbors. The beginning scenes can be hard to stomach - but we know that these things occurred - and still occur today.
Jack is a local white lawyer, he has never tried a murder case, but he is convinced of the man’s innocence.
The case catches the attention of a black female lawyer, Desiree DuBose, from Chicago. She works many cases through the Legal Defense Fund and she wants to add her skills to this case.
In time the two make a great pair. They will go through many obstacles including: handpicking the judge, allowing an entirely white jury, even threats on their lives, and more
I will leave you to discover the incredible plot that unfolds throughout the book. It will make you sad, make you cry but in the end feel hope! There are still good people who are willing to continue the fight against racism.
**The author’s note explains that this book has taken him over a decade to write. He put it aside to work on other projects however this story kept coming back to him. It also explains how some parts of the novel are “autobiographical elements in this story”. I really appreciated the notes at the beginning rather than the end of the novel - they explain a lot!
I highly recommend this standalone novel from David Baldacci. It is really unlike any other book I have read by this author and is perhaps his best novel ever.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, through Edelweiss. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.
April 22, 2024
A book to make you think of others before yourself. 4. 5 rounded up.
July 7, 2024
Maybe a 4.25
Fantastic read and I'm embarrassed to say my first novel by David Baldacci. Very difficult read and also very upsetting.
I thought the court scenes were stunning and I was gripped throughout the book.
Very realistic and sad to think that this was the way people were treated (although has much really changed?)
Fantastic read and I'm embarrassed to say my first novel by David Baldacci. Very difficult read and also very upsetting.
I thought the court scenes were stunning and I was gripped throughout the book.
Very realistic and sad to think that this was the way people were treated (although has much really changed?)
March 21, 2024
You know those books that just get into your heart? A Calamity of Souls is one of those books. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. I am a big David Baldacci fan, but this stand alone may be his best yet. It is a big book, at almost 500 pages but it is worth every word.
Jack Lee, a white attorney in southern Virginia in 1968. He has never worked a murder case before, but he knows it is the right thing to do in this case. A black man has been arrested and accused of murdering his employers, a rich, elderly white couple. This was a time when the colour of your skin was still judged, and most people believe the man to be guilty. Aided by black, Chicago lawyer, Desiree DeBose, he is determined to do everything he can to save his client and prove his innocence.
Now this is a tough book to read. The language and attitudes are of the time, and glue author acknowledges that at the very start. He tells us that this book took him 10 years to complete. The writing is beautiful, it transports you back to that time in every way. I cried, I laughed, I got very very angry. I loved it so much.
This is a book that you just have to read. The characters are realistic, they feel like people you want to either be friends with or ones that you want to give a piece of your mind to.
Thank you so much to Macmillan Australia for sending me an early copy to read. Published in Australia March 26th and the US in mid April.
Jack Lee, a white attorney in southern Virginia in 1968. He has never worked a murder case before, but he knows it is the right thing to do in this case. A black man has been arrested and accused of murdering his employers, a rich, elderly white couple. This was a time when the colour of your skin was still judged, and most people believe the man to be guilty. Aided by black, Chicago lawyer, Desiree DeBose, he is determined to do everything he can to save his client and prove his innocence.
Now this is a tough book to read. The language and attitudes are of the time, and glue author acknowledges that at the very start. He tells us that this book took him 10 years to complete. The writing is beautiful, it transports you back to that time in every way. I cried, I laughed, I got very very angry. I loved it so much.
This is a book that you just have to read. The characters are realistic, they feel like people you want to either be friends with or ones that you want to give a piece of your mind to.
Thank you so much to Macmillan Australia for sending me an early copy to read. Published in Australia March 26th and the US in mid April.
July 24, 2024
When I ordered this book from my local library, I didn’t know what kind of book I was going to be reading. I just knew it was a Baldacci book, and that is all that mattered to me. And, I can’t believe I didn’t put this in my ‘currently reading’ pile. Oh well. Believe it or not, I have been reading it. It is a book to be reckoned with, in all its 477 pages. But before I get in to discussion of it, back to Baldacci.
I love all his characters. And, who knew if it was going to be someone from the past, or someone new. I just knew I had already developed my relationships with, Atlee Pine, Aloysius Archer, Amos Decker, Alex Jamison, Travis Devine, Will Robie, John Puller, Sean King, Michelle Maxwell and Oliver Stone.
I never expected to be taken into a historical fiction courtroom drama with two new characters to add to my personal “love” list. But here I was. Ready and willing.
And, to be honest, my heart was on fire from page one. And, that even included the ‘Author’s Note.’
“I wish we lived in a world that was just and equal for all, and that lawyers could concentrate on being simply lawyers and not spokespersons for a cause. …and we can all rise high or fall low, but we should all be judged by the same standard. That is the only way we can move forward as a country, as a people.”
This is a stand-alone featuring two new characters in 1968 Freeman County, Virginia, a hotbed county, and area of the state, filled with hate and prejudice. We meet Jack Lee a white lawyer who is given a case to defend a black couple, Jerome and Pearl Washington that have been accused of killing a rich white couple.
And, when we are talking the south, it doesn’t look like they are going to get a very fair chance at trial with a Judge that has Ku Klux Klan leanings, George Wallace poised to run for President and an all-white jury.
To help Jack on the case is Desiree DuBose a Black lawyer from Chicago who is fierce about justice and equality.
What will this team discover? Will they be able to overcome these odds?
As I turned pages and read, I couldn’t help but feel the 60’s past and today’s present merging too closely together. I wanted to cry out in frustration and sadness that something was wrong – that there was a time machine that had made a mistake – that thought that 2024 was 1968 all over again and to please let me blink myself awake to a better more thoughtful, just present. That I must be dreaming.
And then, I got out of my head and reminded myself I was within the pages of a really excellent story with solid character development. It was describing the 1960’s south realistically. The courtroom drama was spectacular and dramatic and real-feeling.
There will be much to digest within these pages. Be patient. It will be worth the journey.
This story is fresh and intense, and thrilling, and showcases the human corruptness. I can only hope that this is just the beginning of Dubose and Lee as future characters and fighters of justice in an upcoming Baldacci series.
Also, I recommend that everyone read the ‘Author’s Note’ at the beginning. It is heart-felt and timely. What he shares at the end of it, which makes even more sense once it is read and digested, I think is worth including…
“I wanted each to learn from the other, and …to eventually find mutual respect and empathy for one another. In the end, what can we strive for that is more vital, for all of us?”
I love all his characters. And, who knew if it was going to be someone from the past, or someone new. I just knew I had already developed my relationships with, Atlee Pine, Aloysius Archer, Amos Decker, Alex Jamison, Travis Devine, Will Robie, John Puller, Sean King, Michelle Maxwell and Oliver Stone.
I never expected to be taken into a historical fiction courtroom drama with two new characters to add to my personal “love” list. But here I was. Ready and willing.
And, to be honest, my heart was on fire from page one. And, that even included the ‘Author’s Note.’
“I wish we lived in a world that was just and equal for all, and that lawyers could concentrate on being simply lawyers and not spokespersons for a cause. …and we can all rise high or fall low, but we should all be judged by the same standard. That is the only way we can move forward as a country, as a people.”
This is a stand-alone featuring two new characters in 1968 Freeman County, Virginia, a hotbed county, and area of the state, filled with hate and prejudice. We meet Jack Lee a white lawyer who is given a case to defend a black couple, Jerome and Pearl Washington that have been accused of killing a rich white couple.
And, when we are talking the south, it doesn’t look like they are going to get a very fair chance at trial with a Judge that has Ku Klux Klan leanings, George Wallace poised to run for President and an all-white jury.
To help Jack on the case is Desiree DuBose a Black lawyer from Chicago who is fierce about justice and equality.
What will this team discover? Will they be able to overcome these odds?
As I turned pages and read, I couldn’t help but feel the 60’s past and today’s present merging too closely together. I wanted to cry out in frustration and sadness that something was wrong – that there was a time machine that had made a mistake – that thought that 2024 was 1968 all over again and to please let me blink myself awake to a better more thoughtful, just present. That I must be dreaming.
And then, I got out of my head and reminded myself I was within the pages of a really excellent story with solid character development. It was describing the 1960’s south realistically. The courtroom drama was spectacular and dramatic and real-feeling.
There will be much to digest within these pages. Be patient. It will be worth the journey.
This story is fresh and intense, and thrilling, and showcases the human corruptness. I can only hope that this is just the beginning of Dubose and Lee as future characters and fighters of justice in an upcoming Baldacci series.
Also, I recommend that everyone read the ‘Author’s Note’ at the beginning. It is heart-felt and timely. What he shares at the end of it, which makes even more sense once it is read and digested, I think is worth including…
“I wanted each to learn from the other, and …to eventually find mutual respect and empathy for one another. In the end, what can we strive for that is more vital, for all of us?”
March 8, 2024
A Calamity of Souls is David Baldacci’s best work to date and arguably his most important. Set in southern Virginia in 1968, a black man is accused of viscously murdering a wealthy, white older couple in their home. The case is a flash point following the Civil Rights Act is passed and gathers national attention, including a presidential candidate.
Attorney Jack Lee – the pride of Freeman County, VA and local legend – has been a bystander to racism his entire life and never did anything about it. Until now. Despite never trying a murder case, the backlash of the community, and the not-so-veiled threats, Jack agrees to represent the black man. Teaming up with a black, female attorney, the unlikely pair must confront racism head-on – inside the courtroom and out – to keep an innocent man from the electric chair.
A Calamity of Souls is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s not an easy read by any means. It’s tragic, heartbreaking, and hopeful. It forces the reader to confront our past, the present and ultimately our future. A Calamity of Souls might be set in 1968 but could easily take place today. The similarities are striking and maddening.
A Calamity of Souls should be required reading for everyone and has my highest recommendation.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege to read an advanced copy of A Calamity of Souls!.
Attorney Jack Lee – the pride of Freeman County, VA and local legend – has been a bystander to racism his entire life and never did anything about it. Until now. Despite never trying a murder case, the backlash of the community, and the not-so-veiled threats, Jack agrees to represent the black man. Teaming up with a black, female attorney, the unlikely pair must confront racism head-on – inside the courtroom and out – to keep an innocent man from the electric chair.
A Calamity of Souls is an emotional rollercoaster. It’s not an easy read by any means. It’s tragic, heartbreaking, and hopeful. It forces the reader to confront our past, the present and ultimately our future. A Calamity of Souls might be set in 1968 but could easily take place today. The similarities are striking and maddening.
A Calamity of Souls should be required reading for everyone and has my highest recommendation.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege to read an advanced copy of A Calamity of Souls!.
May 1, 2024
3.5 stars
This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/a-...
It's 1968, and it's been fourteen years since the United States Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of public schools and four years since the Civil Rights Act outlawed segregation of public facilities, like drinking fountains and bathrooms. This makes no difference in Freeman County, Virginia, where Whites and Blacks live on opposite sides of the McHenry River, and Blacks are expected to know their place.
Black maids and nannies can be seen working on the White side of town, but Black men are considered dangerous and not welcome in any occupation.
Thus it's unusual for Black army veteran Jerome Washington to be employed by Anne and Leslie Randolph, one of the wealthiest and most prominent White couples in Freeman Country.
Jerome drives the elderly Randolphs around in their car, works in their yard, and repairs things around the property.
Jerome gets paid every Friday, forty dollars cash, which Jerome needs for his wife and three children. One Friday Jerome knocks on the Randolph's back door several times, and getting no answer, reluctantly ventures into the house.
Shortly afterwards, Jerome is on his knees, his hands shackled behind his back, being viciously billy-clubbed by a white policeman, while another cop looks on. Anne and Leslie Randolph are in the dining room, dead and covered with blood. Jerome is arrested for murder, and in Freeman County, that means Jerome's conviction is almost a certainty.
Even in Freeman County, however, a defendant is entitled to a lawyer, and White criminal defense attorney Jack Lee takes the case. Thirty-three-year-old Jack has always been aware of the unfair treatment of Blacks, vaguely thought it was wrong, but never did anything about it. Jack now has his chance, and he means to mount the best possible defense for Jerome Washington.
This infuriates White racists in Freeman County, and Jack is called names and violently attacked.
Things get even more fraught when a female Black lawyer from Chicago, Desiree DuBose, becomes Jack's co-counsel. Desiree works for the Legal Defense Fund, and has spent her life fighting for Black rights.
The government stacks the deck against Jerome from the get-go. Working with representatives of segregationist George Wallace, who's running for president, the state picks Virginia Attorney General Edmund Battle to prosecute Jerome.....
.....and Judge Josiah Ambrose to oversee the trial.
This is massive fire power for an out of the way town, and it's clear the government has an agenda.
Though the odds are against them, Jack and Desiree mount a vigorous defense for Jerome. Along the way, they endure public hostility, threats, and violence.
Jack's parents, Hilly and Frank, are ambivalent about Jack defending Jerome, and have other concerns as well. Jack's older sister Lucy has the mind of a child, and Hilly - who had a dental procedure with nitrous oxide while she was pregnant - blames herself.
And Jack's father, a mechanic, can barely stand to think about his son Jeff, a decorated soldier who had a crisis of conscience about Vietnam and deserted the army.
The book is a compelling courtroom drama and a realistic depiction of the struggle for Black civil rights. In his foreword, author David Baldacci explains that he grew up in Virginia during the 1960s and 1970s, and has personal knowledge of the racism, offensive language, and right wing politics of the era.
Civil Right March in the 1960s
Baldacci tries to temper the novel's Jim Crow ugliness with the inclusion of a few touching scenes, but they feel contrived and unrealistic. That said, this is a book that's well worth reading, especially since America still struggles with race relations.
Thanks to Netgalley, David Baldacci, and Grand Central Publishing for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
June 4, 2024
Sometimes 5🌟 is not enough. That is when you don’t want to let a book end. It stays with you a long time.
Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci's is a novel the reaches the readers into the darkest side of racism during the end of Jim Crow laws. Where blacks were just allowed to sit where they wanted, go where they want and are no longer held by racist laws such as interracial marriage. I particularly liked the element of psychological suspense and working with or against (depending on the character) the moral compass. Fear drives hate and prejudice. This who dun-nit novel explores how landing on the easiest, neatest character can drive the legalities into a complex, even dangerous case. The characters are strong and real. Taking place in Virginia in 1968, whites are putted against each other. Love is found and healed. There are many parallels found in Baldacci’s novels can be found still existing in 2024. You just have to be more observant and dig deeper. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a lot of action that hovers on the moral integrity of all involved.
Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci's is a novel the reaches the readers into the darkest side of racism during the end of Jim Crow laws. Where blacks were just allowed to sit where they wanted, go where they want and are no longer held by racist laws such as interracial marriage. I particularly liked the element of psychological suspense and working with or against (depending on the character) the moral compass. Fear drives hate and prejudice. This who dun-nit novel explores how landing on the easiest, neatest character can drive the legalities into a complex, even dangerous case. The characters are strong and real. Taking place in Virginia in 1968, whites are putted against each other. Love is found and healed. There are many parallels found in Baldacci’s novels can be found still existing in 2024. You just have to be more observant and dig deeper. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a lot of action that hovers on the moral integrity of all involved.
July 2, 2024
I typically avoid courtroom dramas because inaccuracies can make me cringe, but given the high ratings and the fact that this one was penned by a lawyer, I decided to give it a chance—and I'm so glad I did.
One standout element for me was the character of Desiree DuBose, a Black lawyer from Chicago. A graduate of Howard University and Harvard, she works for the Legal Defense Fund established by Thurgood Marshall. Desiree's unwavering commitment to justice and equality resonates throughout the novel. She's brilliant, determined, and an impassioned advocate. She is an inspiring role model for any trial attorney, male or female.
The novel's portrayal of injustice is deeply affecting. While some characters verge on being archetypes of good or evil, they are nonetheless well-crafted and engaging. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook version, where the narrators excelled in bringing the story to life.
One standout element for me was the character of Desiree DuBose, a Black lawyer from Chicago. A graduate of Howard University and Harvard, she works for the Legal Defense Fund established by Thurgood Marshall. Desiree's unwavering commitment to justice and equality resonates throughout the novel. She's brilliant, determined, and an impassioned advocate. She is an inspiring role model for any trial attorney, male or female.
The novel's portrayal of injustice is deeply affecting. While some characters verge on being archetypes of good or evil, they are nonetheless well-crafted and engaging. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook version, where the narrators excelled in bringing the story to life.
March 23, 2024
This book is like a whirlwind of emotions wrapped up in a gripping tale of justice and redemption. From the very first page, I was drawn into a world where the echoes of racism reverberate through every facet of society, and justice feels like an elusive dream.
Jack Lee, a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, embarks on a journey that challenges his beliefs and forces him to confront the pervasive racism that has long plagued his community. Representing Jerome Washington, a Black man accused of a heinous crime, Jack grapples with doubt and fear as he navigates a legal system stacked against him and his client.
And then there's Desiree DuBose, the fierce and fabulous lawyer from Chicago who swoops in to shake things up. She's like a breath of fresh air in Jack's world, and their partnership is like watching a buddy cop movie—I couldn't get enough of their banter and camaraderie. Together, they face off against formidable adversaries, both in the courtroom and beyond, as they fight for a fair trial and true justice.
Baldacci's storytelling prowess shines brightly in "A Calamity of Souls." This novel is not merely a tale of legal battles; it is a poignant exploration of race, power, and the enduring struggle for equality. With each turn of the page, I found myself captivated, enraged, and deeply moved by the profound themes and richly drawn characters.
This book is more than just a gripping read—it is a catalyst for reflection and dialogue on the pressing issues of racism and discrimination in society. Baldacci's masterful narrative weaves together intricate layers of emotion and insight, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.
Honestly, "A Calamity of Souls" is more than just a book—it's an experience. It's like going on a wild adventure with characters you can't help but root for, and coming out the other side feeling like you've been through something truly special. David Baldacci has outdone himself with this one, and I can't recommend it enough.
Jack Lee, a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, embarks on a journey that challenges his beliefs and forces him to confront the pervasive racism that has long plagued his community. Representing Jerome Washington, a Black man accused of a heinous crime, Jack grapples with doubt and fear as he navigates a legal system stacked against him and his client.
And then there's Desiree DuBose, the fierce and fabulous lawyer from Chicago who swoops in to shake things up. She's like a breath of fresh air in Jack's world, and their partnership is like watching a buddy cop movie—I couldn't get enough of their banter and camaraderie. Together, they face off against formidable adversaries, both in the courtroom and beyond, as they fight for a fair trial and true justice.
Baldacci's storytelling prowess shines brightly in "A Calamity of Souls." This novel is not merely a tale of legal battles; it is a poignant exploration of race, power, and the enduring struggle for equality. With each turn of the page, I found myself captivated, enraged, and deeply moved by the profound themes and richly drawn characters.
This book is more than just a gripping read—it is a catalyst for reflection and dialogue on the pressing issues of racism and discrimination in society. Baldacci's masterful narrative weaves together intricate layers of emotion and insight, leaving a lasting impact on the reader.
Honestly, "A Calamity of Souls" is more than just a book—it's an experience. It's like going on a wild adventure with characters you can't help but root for, and coming out the other side feeling like you've been through something truly special. David Baldacci has outdone himself with this one, and I can't recommend it enough.
April 24, 2024
Tough story of life with modest updates through time and reversions to the past.
July 11, 2024
I absolutely adore a great legal thriller and this was all that and more! I could not put this book down! Fans of this author and this genre are definitely not going to want to miss this one. Well thought out, well researched, and well crafted. If this book is on your TBR list, I highly recommend you get a copy and put it on the top now. 5 riveting stars!
February 15, 2024
It is 1968 in southern Virginia, a place where some of the activities and certainly the attitudes of the abolished Jim Crow Laws are still evidenced to a large extent. Jack Lee is a young White man who has returned to his home town to practice law. Although he does not prescribe to the racial prejudices of many of the people with whom he grew up, he has never really done anything about the hate he sees around him. When a Black veteran of the Vietnam war, Jerome Washington, is charged with murdering the well to do elderly couple for whom he worked, Jack has the chance to do something. When outside forces try to bully him out of defending Jerome, he digs in his heels, just as his mother has taught him to do when facing tormentors.
Jerome’s wife Pearl is then charged as an accomplice. Jack worries that he, who has never argued a homicide case, won’t be up to the task. Desiree DuBoise, a Black litigator from Chicago who has participated in many high profile racial cases and even won one before the Supreme Court, partners with Jack as they face all the tension, lies, and grave danger of this racially charged case. As the trial takes on national notoriety, it also becomes a political issue, particularly for the campaign of George Wallace.
This is a legal thriller; but, oh, it is so much more. It chronicles the racial tension and injustice of the 1960s while also serving as a cautionary tale for our times as so much of the hate and vitriol expressed by some of the characters is still heard today.
Well written and plotted with characters that truly come to life, Baldacci weaves an edge of the seat tale while making a strong case for equal justice and opportunity for all. As I read this book, I felt an entire range of strong emotions from empathy, to sadness, frustration, anger to fear for our present day political situation. A five star read that I highly recommend. I think it is Baldacci’s best!
Thanks to @netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for the DRC.
Jerome’s wife Pearl is then charged as an accomplice. Jack worries that he, who has never argued a homicide case, won’t be up to the task. Desiree DuBoise, a Black litigator from Chicago who has participated in many high profile racial cases and even won one before the Supreme Court, partners with Jack as they face all the tension, lies, and grave danger of this racially charged case. As the trial takes on national notoriety, it also becomes a political issue, particularly for the campaign of George Wallace.
This is a legal thriller; but, oh, it is so much more. It chronicles the racial tension and injustice of the 1960s while also serving as a cautionary tale for our times as so much of the hate and vitriol expressed by some of the characters is still heard today.
Well written and plotted with characters that truly come to life, Baldacci weaves an edge of the seat tale while making a strong case for equal justice and opportunity for all. As I read this book, I felt an entire range of strong emotions from empathy, to sadness, frustration, anger to fear for our present day political situation. A five star read that I highly recommend. I think it is Baldacci’s best!
Thanks to @netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for the DRC.
May 5, 2024
Master storyteller David Baldacci returns following series The Edge (The 6:20 Man #2) and Simply Lies (Mickey Gibson #1) with his latest riveting standalone, A CALAMITY OF SOULS. Set during the desegregation of the South, a gripping courtroom drama of racial injustice and suspense combined with a gripping family drama that will leave you breathless until the final page is turned!
I have been a long-time fan of the author—whether a series or standalone, A CALAMITY OF SOULS is one of my favorites. Baldacci at his finest! 5 Stars + and Top Books of 2024!
Set in 1968, in Virginia, as the book opens, we meet a hardworking Black Vietnam veteran, Jerome Washington, husband and father, accused and arrested for the murder of his white employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph.
They are two of the most prominent wealthy family members in the segregated Freeman County.
Jerome had been with the couple for many years and was washing their Buick. He entered the home to pick up his weekly pay when he found them covered in blood. He tried to help by moving them off the floor. Then, the cops arrived and handcuffed him immediately.
A setup? It appears he is taking the fall for someone; however, in this county, a Black man's word is no good. Who will believe him? He is beaten and already assumed guilty when he is innocent due to his color.
Miss Jessup (Black) was Ashby's maid, cook, and nurse (their lawyer neighbor), and everyone knew her. She was a relative of Jerome's family. Jack Lee remembered her when he was a boy delivering the paper. She reached out to Jack Lee to represent Jerome.
Jack Lee, who is just turning 33, is a young local white criminal defense attorney who agrees to take the case. He is unmarried, drives a Fiat, and is eight years out of law school. Lucy, his sister at 37, was born with a deformity after their mother was given a sedative due to an impacted wisdom tooth when she was unaware she was pregnant. He also had a brother, Jeff.
His family believed in kindness and respect, whether you're black, white, rich, or poor.
As Jack becomes engrossed in the case, everyone is against him with much prejudice, and he soon realizes he is out of his element.
However, his salvation came when Desiree DuBose, a Black lawyer from Chicago sent by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, arrived to assist Jack with the case. She is smart and has devoted her life to helping with the justice and equality of her clients.
The two lawyers begin working together to defend Jerome against an unjust and unfair town, fighting them at every turn. They work well together even though different. They have to put on their investigation hats and dig deep in a race against time when the local cops are not that helpful and want to hang Jerome.
However, they know he is innocent and has a family and daughters to get back to. Who is the real murderer, and why are they allowing an innocent man to take the fall? What was the motive?
Both Jack and Desiree are in danger, and the racists will stop at nothing to keep them from working on the case, even getting to the families. Jack learns to respect Desiree and admires her when he has barely left his state and has never flown. She has been everywhere representing those in need of a fair trial.
It is the two of them against an entire town of racial injustice and prejudice. After losing their office and other lives, rather than giving up, they are more determined to bring justice to the forefront and save Jerome.
Two lawyers, black and white, fight against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully accused Black defendant. However, there is a final twist and more surprises you do not see coming, which will leave your jaw dropping in this heartbreaking suspense.
A CALAMITY OF SOULS is a high-octane, action-packed, and moving legal thriller during the civil rights movement. Timely, critical, and essential reading. Even though fictional, the stories are real, then and now. I loved this book and its well-developed characters you care about and root for.
Gripping, character-driven, and plot-driven, with intense courtroom scenes, a stellar blending of historical, legal, psychological, and family drama. Baldacci fans will devour, as well as Grisham, Connelly, Turow, Eskens, Hart, and Dugoni fans.
Thank you, David, for telling this moving story, which has been a long time in the making. No one could have said it better. The author's expertise as an award-winning author. former lawyer, and growing up in the area during this period, shines through on each page, making the characters come alive.
A CALAMITY OF SOULS is exceptional and would make a superb movie or TV series. I hope we see more of Jack and Desiree in the future. Ideal for book clubs and further discussions. I highly recommend it!
Thank you, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for a digital early reading review copy. I also pre-ordered the audiobook and cannot wait to listen with narrators MacLeod Andrews (favorite), Sisi Aisha Johnson, Kiiri Sandy, and Cary Hite. The hardcover is a must for your home library! A classic.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: April 16, 2024
April 2024 Must-Read Books
April Newsletter
Top Books of 2024
I have been a long-time fan of the author—whether a series or standalone, A CALAMITY OF SOULS is one of my favorites. Baldacci at his finest! 5 Stars + and Top Books of 2024!
Set in 1968, in Virginia, as the book opens, we meet a hardworking Black Vietnam veteran, Jerome Washington, husband and father, accused and arrested for the murder of his white employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph.
They are two of the most prominent wealthy family members in the segregated Freeman County.
Jerome had been with the couple for many years and was washing their Buick. He entered the home to pick up his weekly pay when he found them covered in blood. He tried to help by moving them off the floor. Then, the cops arrived and handcuffed him immediately.
A setup? It appears he is taking the fall for someone; however, in this county, a Black man's word is no good. Who will believe him? He is beaten and already assumed guilty when he is innocent due to his color.
Miss Jessup (Black) was Ashby's maid, cook, and nurse (their lawyer neighbor), and everyone knew her. She was a relative of Jerome's family. Jack Lee remembered her when he was a boy delivering the paper. She reached out to Jack Lee to represent Jerome.
Jack Lee, who is just turning 33, is a young local white criminal defense attorney who agrees to take the case. He is unmarried, drives a Fiat, and is eight years out of law school. Lucy, his sister at 37, was born with a deformity after their mother was given a sedative due to an impacted wisdom tooth when she was unaware she was pregnant. He also had a brother, Jeff.
His family believed in kindness and respect, whether you're black, white, rich, or poor.
As Jack becomes engrossed in the case, everyone is against him with much prejudice, and he soon realizes he is out of his element.
However, his salvation came when Desiree DuBose, a Black lawyer from Chicago sent by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, arrived to assist Jack with the case. She is smart and has devoted her life to helping with the justice and equality of her clients.
The two lawyers begin working together to defend Jerome against an unjust and unfair town, fighting them at every turn. They work well together even though different. They have to put on their investigation hats and dig deep in a race against time when the local cops are not that helpful and want to hang Jerome.
However, they know he is innocent and has a family and daughters to get back to. Who is the real murderer, and why are they allowing an innocent man to take the fall? What was the motive?
Both Jack and Desiree are in danger, and the racists will stop at nothing to keep them from working on the case, even getting to the families. Jack learns to respect Desiree and admires her when he has barely left his state and has never flown. She has been everywhere representing those in need of a fair trial.
It is the two of them against an entire town of racial injustice and prejudice. After losing their office and other lives, rather than giving up, they are more determined to bring justice to the forefront and save Jerome.
Two lawyers, black and white, fight against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully accused Black defendant. However, there is a final twist and more surprises you do not see coming, which will leave your jaw dropping in this heartbreaking suspense.
A CALAMITY OF SOULS is a high-octane, action-packed, and moving legal thriller during the civil rights movement. Timely, critical, and essential reading. Even though fictional, the stories are real, then and now. I loved this book and its well-developed characters you care about and root for.
Gripping, character-driven, and plot-driven, with intense courtroom scenes, a stellar blending of historical, legal, psychological, and family drama. Baldacci fans will devour, as well as Grisham, Connelly, Turow, Eskens, Hart, and Dugoni fans.
Thank you, David, for telling this moving story, which has been a long time in the making. No one could have said it better. The author's expertise as an award-winning author. former lawyer, and growing up in the area during this period, shines through on each page, making the characters come alive.
A CALAMITY OF SOULS is exceptional and would make a superb movie or TV series. I hope we see more of Jack and Desiree in the future. Ideal for book clubs and further discussions. I highly recommend it!
Thank you, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley, for a digital early reading review copy. I also pre-ordered the audiobook and cannot wait to listen with narrators MacLeod Andrews (favorite), Sisi Aisha Johnson, Kiiri Sandy, and Cary Hite. The hardcover is a must for your home library! A classic.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: April 16, 2024
April 2024 Must-Read Books
April Newsletter
Top Books of 2024
July 15, 2024
I liked the story although couldn't help bringing up comparisons to To Kill A Mockingbird. A truly sad story of how things once were over sixty years ago in the deep South.
April 12, 2024
My favorite novel of the year so far! I loved everything about it including the beautiful title. A powerful combination of historical fiction, courtroom drama, mystery, and family relationships, but most importantly, an insightful look at racism in the Old American South, very reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
The story is set in Freeman County, Virginia, in 1968, the year Dr Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated. It's just four years since the passing of The Civil Rights Act but little has changed for the people, school busing is just beginning and racial tension is high.
It is in this uneasy atmosphere that local attorney, John Robert Lee, agrees to defend Jerome Washington, a black handyman accused of killing his wealthy white employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph. That alone is enough to set off any number of problems for 'Jack' and his family but the case also awakens the interest of some big-time politicians on both sides of the race issue, creating a media storm.
Into this mess walks a high-profile Black attorney, Desiree DuBose, an answer to Jack's prayers. She works for the Legal Defense Fund, goes where she is needed and has handled over two dozen capital murder cases, so she brings courtroom experience of this type where Jack has none.
It's hard to put this novel down--easily one of Baldacci's best works. Great characterizations with a stunning understanding of how good people can do such evil things. I'm looking forward to see where the author takes the team of DuBose and Lee next.
I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
The story is set in Freeman County, Virginia, in 1968, the year Dr Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated. It's just four years since the passing of The Civil Rights Act but little has changed for the people, school busing is just beginning and racial tension is high.
It is in this uneasy atmosphere that local attorney, John Robert Lee, agrees to defend Jerome Washington, a black handyman accused of killing his wealthy white employers, Leslie and Anne Randolph. That alone is enough to set off any number of problems for 'Jack' and his family but the case also awakens the interest of some big-time politicians on both sides of the race issue, creating a media storm.
Into this mess walks a high-profile Black attorney, Desiree DuBose, an answer to Jack's prayers. She works for the Legal Defense Fund, goes where she is needed and has handled over two dozen capital murder cases, so she brings courtroom experience of this type where Jack has none.
It's hard to put this novel down--easily one of Baldacci's best works. Great characterizations with a stunning understanding of how good people can do such evil things. I'm looking forward to see where the author takes the team of DuBose and Lee next.
I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks for the opportunity. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
May 2, 2024
In a novel that he has been composing for the last decade, David Baldacci brings readers a story where race ensures that justice is not blind. In the heart of Virginia in 1968, the Civil Rights movement appears to be paused when a black man is accused of killing an elderly white couple. A young lawyer seeks to turn the tables on the pre-conceived notions in the South by defending the accused. Working with another keen attorney, the pair will try convincing a jury of the truth and leave racial sentiments on the shelf. Baldacci offers up a stunning story that checks all the boxes in this courtroom thriller.
Jack Lee has long wanted to be a lawyer, though the law is quite one-sided in Freeman County, Virginia. Growing up in a middle-class white family, Lee had aspirations, though the racial divide in the county and country as a whole never really got to him until now. Wanting to shed his past indifference, Lee decides to represent a black man for a brutal killing of an elderly white couple. It’s 1968 and the assassinations of Kennedy and King are still fresh in the news, but the Civil Rights movement is not yet penetrating the thick skulls of those around the county, where calls for a quick trial and lynching become daily utterances. With Jerome Washington as his client, Jack Lee not only has a great deal on his plate, but he must try to make sense of the vitriol that is spewed from everyone around him. It is as though justice is not colour blind as Lee seeks to make a difference and prove his client’s innocence.
There is a glimmer of hope when Desiree DuBose appears in town. A black lawyer from Chicago, DuBose has some experience with race and the law, having recently argued before the US Supreme Court. She comes with hopes of furthering justice and equality, helping Washington get the trial he deserves and to school Jack Lee on how to handle the racial pressure cooker that he has before him. When they agree to try the case together, new levels of hatred are hurled their way, in a county where mixed race anything is troublesome and accusations occur before any proof can be issued.
While Lee and DuBose are diametrically opposed in how they handle cases, their passion for justice and Washington’s innocence push them onwards Working against a prosecution that will do whatever it takes to send an innocent man to his death in the electric chair, Lee and DuBose work tirelessly to show how race should not be a determining factor in guilt, at the zenith of racial divides in America’s South. A brilliant piece that pulls on the heartstrings for many readers, proving that Baldacci has what it takes in any time period.
While I have long enjoyed the series work that David Baldacci is able to present, some of his standalone novels pull on the heartstrings a little more. Centred around the law and the racial divides of America’s 1968 Civil Rights movement, Baldacci uses his narrative not only to tell a story, but point out the injustice as he saw it growing up. Baldaccci paces the story well and keeps the narrative flowing with great depictions, as well as some strong sentiments. Peppering in the abhorrent language of the time, as well and those thought processes that made the South so backwards in its thinking, Baldacci proves a point, one that could have some relevance today, with new political figures spouting vitriol and numbing sentiments about race relations. A handful of strong characters help flavour the story and prove a point, which is only further helped along by a setting that depicts the struggled of the time. Baldacci knows what he is doing with this piece and does so very well.
Baldacci has long been a superior storyteller, using his various plots to keep the stories fresh and on point. his was no exception, though writing in the past about such an issue that was sure to cause grief, he outdid himself. Race relations in the 1960s was enough to handle, but when Baldacci created this stellar courtroom drama, he did not hold back. The reader is put in the middle of all the action and does not stand down at any point. The storytelling is like nothing else and the raw admissions in the story help shape the America from the recent past, as well as for the reader to ponder how the country has come so far and yet returned to its backwards thinking on race and the place of each group within the larger community. This was something else and I could not have asked for more.
Kudos, Mr. Baldacci, for a story like no other.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Jack Lee has long wanted to be a lawyer, though the law is quite one-sided in Freeman County, Virginia. Growing up in a middle-class white family, Lee had aspirations, though the racial divide in the county and country as a whole never really got to him until now. Wanting to shed his past indifference, Lee decides to represent a black man for a brutal killing of an elderly white couple. It’s 1968 and the assassinations of Kennedy and King are still fresh in the news, but the Civil Rights movement is not yet penetrating the thick skulls of those around the county, where calls for a quick trial and lynching become daily utterances. With Jerome Washington as his client, Jack Lee not only has a great deal on his plate, but he must try to make sense of the vitriol that is spewed from everyone around him. It is as though justice is not colour blind as Lee seeks to make a difference and prove his client’s innocence.
There is a glimmer of hope when Desiree DuBose appears in town. A black lawyer from Chicago, DuBose has some experience with race and the law, having recently argued before the US Supreme Court. She comes with hopes of furthering justice and equality, helping Washington get the trial he deserves and to school Jack Lee on how to handle the racial pressure cooker that he has before him. When they agree to try the case together, new levels of hatred are hurled their way, in a county where mixed race anything is troublesome and accusations occur before any proof can be issued.
While Lee and DuBose are diametrically opposed in how they handle cases, their passion for justice and Washington’s innocence push them onwards Working against a prosecution that will do whatever it takes to send an innocent man to his death in the electric chair, Lee and DuBose work tirelessly to show how race should not be a determining factor in guilt, at the zenith of racial divides in America’s South. A brilliant piece that pulls on the heartstrings for many readers, proving that Baldacci has what it takes in any time period.
While I have long enjoyed the series work that David Baldacci is able to present, some of his standalone novels pull on the heartstrings a little more. Centred around the law and the racial divides of America’s 1968 Civil Rights movement, Baldacci uses his narrative not only to tell a story, but point out the injustice as he saw it growing up. Baldaccci paces the story well and keeps the narrative flowing with great depictions, as well as some strong sentiments. Peppering in the abhorrent language of the time, as well and those thought processes that made the South so backwards in its thinking, Baldacci proves a point, one that could have some relevance today, with new political figures spouting vitriol and numbing sentiments about race relations. A handful of strong characters help flavour the story and prove a point, which is only further helped along by a setting that depicts the struggled of the time. Baldacci knows what he is doing with this piece and does so very well.
Baldacci has long been a superior storyteller, using his various plots to keep the stories fresh and on point. his was no exception, though writing in the past about such an issue that was sure to cause grief, he outdid himself. Race relations in the 1960s was enough to handle, but when Baldacci created this stellar courtroom drama, he did not hold back. The reader is put in the middle of all the action and does not stand down at any point. The storytelling is like nothing else and the raw admissions in the story help shape the America from the recent past, as well as for the reader to ponder how the country has come so far and yet returned to its backwards thinking on race and the place of each group within the larger community. This was something else and I could not have asked for more.
Kudos, Mr. Baldacci, for a story like no other.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
April 20, 2024
What can I say - this novel lived up to my expectations. Highly recommend what is bound to be a classic and one that will be among my favorite reads of the year.
A Calamity of Souls was a well-written, gripping mystery and courtoom drama set in 1968 Virginia about Jerome, a Black man who was on trial for the murder of a wealthy elderly white couple. Defending Jerome was Jack Lee, a young white lawyer and his co-counsel, Desiree, an African American experienced lawyer.
The trial was set amidst the turbulent year of 1968 when political and racial tensions were high and discrimination was rampant. This was described very authentically in the novel as it really felt like you had gone back in time and place. It was hard to read just how blatant, violent and systemic the discrimination was, including in the police and justice system. Equally insidious were the subtle ways in which racism had been unconsciously ingrained as a natural way of thinking among so many families such as Jack’s.
There were so many things I enjoyed about this novel. The story started off with a bang and unfolded at a good pace, interweaving the laywers’ investigative work as well as the impact of the trial on Jack’s parents and his siblings. The courtroom scenes were interesting (the author was a trial lawyer) and there were some good twists and a hopeful ending. The only thing that I thought could have added to the novel was perhaps seeing more of the story through the eyes of Jerome and his family.
Having said that, this is a timely novel that I think is bound to become a classic. The author said that it took him 10 years to write and the care he spent writing it shines through.
A Calamity of Souls was a well-written, gripping mystery and courtoom drama set in 1968 Virginia about Jerome, a Black man who was on trial for the murder of a wealthy elderly white couple. Defending Jerome was Jack Lee, a young white lawyer and his co-counsel, Desiree, an African American experienced lawyer.
The trial was set amidst the turbulent year of 1968 when political and racial tensions were high and discrimination was rampant. This was described very authentically in the novel as it really felt like you had gone back in time and place. It was hard to read just how blatant, violent and systemic the discrimination was, including in the police and justice system. Equally insidious were the subtle ways in which racism had been unconsciously ingrained as a natural way of thinking among so many families such as Jack’s.
There were so many things I enjoyed about this novel. The story started off with a bang and unfolded at a good pace, interweaving the laywers’ investigative work as well as the impact of the trial on Jack’s parents and his siblings. The courtroom scenes were interesting (the author was a trial lawyer) and there were some good twists and a hopeful ending. The only thing that I thought could have added to the novel was perhaps seeing more of the story through the eyes of Jerome and his family.
Having said that, this is a timely novel that I think is bound to become a classic. The author said that it took him 10 years to write and the care he spent writing it shines through.
February 16, 2024
This is a book that the author started several years ago and finally finished and decided to publish. A caution for Baldacci fans – this book is not up to his usual standards. It is a stand alone novel and one of his periodic cause books which often do not match those in his various series. It is very predictable, the characters somewhat dull and uninteresting. There are several other novels on this theme that are way better than this one. To Kill A Mockingbird for one.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.
May 1, 2024
Wow. Having been recommended Baldacci numerous times, this is the first book I have read from him and what a book it was. Unreal.
This story had so many layers to it, the race wars of the 60s, the people who fight for equal rights, a double murder, retaliation, retribution, special needs and a few other things in between, this novel had it all.
I have to admit when I first started this gave off huge “A time to kill” vibes and while I do think there are a lot of similarities between the two, both are equally good in their own ways, and I really enjoyed this. It was powerful and very detailed. I can’t even imagine what it was like to live during that time.
Grade A+, 5 Stars. Highly recommended.
This story had so many layers to it, the race wars of the 60s, the people who fight for equal rights, a double murder, retaliation, retribution, special needs and a few other things in between, this novel had it all.
I have to admit when I first started this gave off huge “A time to kill” vibes and while I do think there are a lot of similarities between the two, both are equally good in their own ways, and I really enjoyed this. It was powerful and very detailed. I can’t even imagine what it was like to live during that time.
Grade A+, 5 Stars. Highly recommended.
June 10, 2024
For the last couple of years, Baldacci has been producing two books a year (and sometimes even three) and focusing most of his attention on his series characters of Amos Decker (Memory Man), Atlee Pine, Aloysius Archer, and Travis Devine (6:20 Man). This time Baldacci steps outside of his current day thrillers to write a one-off set during one of the most tumultuous and politically changing times in U.S. history. This one’s personal and reflects much of what Baldacci felt and experienced growing up in the deep South during the sixties.
“A Calamity of Souls” takes place in small town southern Virginia. The year is 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. has been assassinated. Former Alabama governor, George Wallace is running for president and has the South’s support in segregation and “Jim Crow” policies during the Civil Rights era. Racial relations are a hot bed of social conflict across the different regions of a country trying to resolve their feelings about the Vietnam war.
This is the story of Jack Lee, and Desiree DuBose, two lawyers from entirely different backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs.
Jack Lee is a 33-year-old, white lawyer living in Freeman County, Virginia. Jack has never really had to deal with racism directly, and therefore, never had to stand up or push back against it. That is until Jerome Washington, a Black man is charged with brutally killing a wealthy, elderly white couple.
Jerome’s family knows Jack’s family and begs him to defend Jerome. Jack accepts, but is immediately stonewalled, threatened, and attacked by his own County’s law enforcement and legal system. Realizing that his case is quickly developing into a murder trial where the stakes are taking on not only a capital punishment outcome, but a fiery national impact, Jerome realizes his skills may not be enough to win against a prejudiced system.
Enter Desiree DuBose, a successful Black lawyer from Chicago who has not only devoted her professional life to seeking equality and justice for those who’s skin is a different color. Desiree has successful won arguments before the Supreme Court and works for a national group trying to protect citizen rights throughout the country.
Desiree arrives in Freeman County with the intent to take over Jake’s case and use her experience to try and win Jerome’s freedom. However, Jack is making a stand and won’t give up his case, finally agreeing to partner with her as co-counsels. Their differences are immediately brought to the forefront as they begin a conflicting and awkward partnership seeking for the same outcome – saving a man from being sentenced to death.
Desiree and Jack are facing an impossible task. They are up against not only the best and most experienced prosecutors in the state of Virgina and a corrupt legal system, but they are also facing an angry and divided town ready to explode…
This is Baldacci at his topnotch best – a courtroom and legal thriller that exemplifies all of his creative strengths. A mix of John Grisham and S.A. Cosby, a touch of “To Kill a Mockingbird, and Baldacci’s fast-paced storytelling excellence make for a demanding and uncomfortable read.
This is also a different kind of Baldacci novel, immersed in political and social history that reflects a country divided and at war with itself. It is an ugly America, trying to hide its biggest problems – racial inequality, decency, and respect – and hold back progress and development. Baldacci doesn’t shy away or pull back from the reality of the hard timed during this era of U.S. history. As a matter of fact, he attacks it with visceral stories and lessons of what living in that period was like if you were white or black, and the vast system of racial injustice that existed for those who’s skin color was not white. Baldacci does not sugarcoat in any way what was a brutal and embarrassing time when fairness was not the same for everyone. You can tell that much of the main character, Jack Lee, is based on Baldacci, his own life and personal experiences (this has been confirmed in several of his public interviews). You can feel his private frustrations, guilt, and even anger come out in this one. I especially loved the historical events, laws, and social customs throughout the novel that hit me hard on an emotional level.
One thing that I would note, is that I usually get pulled into a Baldacci novel immediately, easily devouring the first three or four chapters before I even realize it. However, that was not the case with this one. The first chapter or two was a bit rough and overly dramatic in its writing style. Some sentences and phrases were overly dramatic and over-the-top, which is unusual and unexpected for Baldacci. It felt like he was trying too hard to provide a history lesson and be critical of the unfair racial, while at the same time introduce a compelling murder mystery against that backdrop.
The good news is that after those beginning chapters, Baldacci settled down and got into his storytelling groove that we all love and enjoy, and never looked back. His characters, storylines, and setting (location and history) were compelling and gripping. In his interviews, he commented that he had been working on this book for like ten years or so, and it was very personal to him. Both of those shown through in this serious novel that trades escapism for a serious historical social lesson on the absolute importance of equality and respect for everyone. As Baldacci alluded to, this is the kind of book that could only be written by an experienced and mature writer, as well as by someone who personally experienced and understood the very critical issues being written about. He checks both of those boxes.
Baldacci knows his characters and he makes us care about them intimately and personally. For an author that produces two books a year, Baldacci shows that he hasn’t lost his ability to create intricate plotting, character depth, and pacing.
Overall, “A Calamity of Souls” is an uncomfortable journey back in time when things were different and America was at war with itself over racial equality, dignity, and respect. The very values that our country was founded on. It is not intended to be a comfortable and escapist read, and shouldn’t be treated that way. This historical legal thriller comes with a serious reminder that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Baldacci challenges us to remember our ugly history and do better moving forward. It’s never too late to take a personal inventory and make any necessary changes needed. Lesson well delivered.
“A Calamity of Souls” takes place in small town southern Virginia. The year is 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. has been assassinated. Former Alabama governor, George Wallace is running for president and has the South’s support in segregation and “Jim Crow” policies during the Civil Rights era. Racial relations are a hot bed of social conflict across the different regions of a country trying to resolve their feelings about the Vietnam war.
This is the story of Jack Lee, and Desiree DuBose, two lawyers from entirely different backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs.
Jack Lee is a 33-year-old, white lawyer living in Freeman County, Virginia. Jack has never really had to deal with racism directly, and therefore, never had to stand up or push back against it. That is until Jerome Washington, a Black man is charged with brutally killing a wealthy, elderly white couple.
Jerome’s family knows Jack’s family and begs him to defend Jerome. Jack accepts, but is immediately stonewalled, threatened, and attacked by his own County’s law enforcement and legal system. Realizing that his case is quickly developing into a murder trial where the stakes are taking on not only a capital punishment outcome, but a fiery national impact, Jerome realizes his skills may not be enough to win against a prejudiced system.
Enter Desiree DuBose, a successful Black lawyer from Chicago who has not only devoted her professional life to seeking equality and justice for those who’s skin is a different color. Desiree has successful won arguments before the Supreme Court and works for a national group trying to protect citizen rights throughout the country.
Desiree arrives in Freeman County with the intent to take over Jake’s case and use her experience to try and win Jerome’s freedom. However, Jack is making a stand and won’t give up his case, finally agreeing to partner with her as co-counsels. Their differences are immediately brought to the forefront as they begin a conflicting and awkward partnership seeking for the same outcome – saving a man from being sentenced to death.
Desiree and Jack are facing an impossible task. They are up against not only the best and most experienced prosecutors in the state of Virgina and a corrupt legal system, but they are also facing an angry and divided town ready to explode…
This is Baldacci at his topnotch best – a courtroom and legal thriller that exemplifies all of his creative strengths. A mix of John Grisham and S.A. Cosby, a touch of “To Kill a Mockingbird, and Baldacci’s fast-paced storytelling excellence make for a demanding and uncomfortable read.
This is also a different kind of Baldacci novel, immersed in political and social history that reflects a country divided and at war with itself. It is an ugly America, trying to hide its biggest problems – racial inequality, decency, and respect – and hold back progress and development. Baldacci doesn’t shy away or pull back from the reality of the hard timed during this era of U.S. history. As a matter of fact, he attacks it with visceral stories and lessons of what living in that period was like if you were white or black, and the vast system of racial injustice that existed for those who’s skin color was not white. Baldacci does not sugarcoat in any way what was a brutal and embarrassing time when fairness was not the same for everyone. You can tell that much of the main character, Jack Lee, is based on Baldacci, his own life and personal experiences (this has been confirmed in several of his public interviews). You can feel his private frustrations, guilt, and even anger come out in this one. I especially loved the historical events, laws, and social customs throughout the novel that hit me hard on an emotional level.
One thing that I would note, is that I usually get pulled into a Baldacci novel immediately, easily devouring the first three or four chapters before I even realize it. However, that was not the case with this one. The first chapter or two was a bit rough and overly dramatic in its writing style. Some sentences and phrases were overly dramatic and over-the-top, which is unusual and unexpected for Baldacci. It felt like he was trying too hard to provide a history lesson and be critical of the unfair racial, while at the same time introduce a compelling murder mystery against that backdrop.
The good news is that after those beginning chapters, Baldacci settled down and got into his storytelling groove that we all love and enjoy, and never looked back. His characters, storylines, and setting (location and history) were compelling and gripping. In his interviews, he commented that he had been working on this book for like ten years or so, and it was very personal to him. Both of those shown through in this serious novel that trades escapism for a serious historical social lesson on the absolute importance of equality and respect for everyone. As Baldacci alluded to, this is the kind of book that could only be written by an experienced and mature writer, as well as by someone who personally experienced and understood the very critical issues being written about. He checks both of those boxes.
Baldacci knows his characters and he makes us care about them intimately and personally. For an author that produces two books a year, Baldacci shows that he hasn’t lost his ability to create intricate plotting, character depth, and pacing.
Overall, “A Calamity of Souls” is an uncomfortable journey back in time when things were different and America was at war with itself over racial equality, dignity, and respect. The very values that our country was founded on. It is not intended to be a comfortable and escapist read, and shouldn’t be treated that way. This historical legal thriller comes with a serious reminder that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Baldacci challenges us to remember our ugly history and do better moving forward. It’s never too late to take a personal inventory and make any necessary changes needed. Lesson well delivered.
May 4, 2024
This book was hard to read due to the subject matter. It evoked anger many times - which is par for the course when reading about racial prejudice. The sixties were definitely a turbulent time. I was a child in 1968 and remember only a little of the disparity of those times. But, what I do remember was that Blacks lived on a different side of town and did not intermingle with whites. I grew up in Maryland and can't remember a single Black in my elementary school classes. In high school in North Carolina I do remembered only one Black in my honors courses. Integration did not happen quickly or easily. I'm so glad that times have changed for the better, at least in the area I live in now. I hope that is true everywhere, but I'm sure it probably isn't.
Description:
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially-charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.
Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.
Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era.
Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.
Over a decade in the writing, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.
My Thoughts:
This book brings forward the turbulent times of the 1960s. It is always difficult to stand up for what is right when so many are opposed. This was a gripping, gut-wrenching trial from start to finish. The book grabbed me from the start and I couldn't put it down. I was fully invested the entire time. I have nothing but admiration for the two attorney, Lee and Dubose, for their dedication and persistence. Baldacci is a masterful storyteller!
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially-charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.
Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly and wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.
Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era.
Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.
Over a decade in the writing, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.
My Thoughts:
This book brings forward the turbulent times of the 1960s. It is always difficult to stand up for what is right when so many are opposed. This was a gripping, gut-wrenching trial from start to finish. The book grabbed me from the start and I couldn't put it down. I was fully invested the entire time. I have nothing but admiration for the two attorney, Lee and Dubose, for their dedication and persistence. Baldacci is a masterful storyteller!
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.
April 15, 2024
Set in Virginia in 1968, after the murders of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, racial tension is a fact of life in segregated Freeman County. Jerome Washington, a young Black married father who served in Vietnam is arrested for the double murder of Leslie and Anne Randolph, his wealthy, white employers. Jack Lee, a white criminal attorney with no experience at murder trials, is convinced by the accused man's family to represent Jerome. The local reaction to Jack's decision to defend a Black man of such a horrible crime puts him and his loved ones in danger. Realizing he may be in way over his head, he is approached by Desiree DuBose, a Black attorney from the Legal Defense Fund, to work together. The case takes on national attention with George Wallace's people trying to use the trial to bolster support for him. The prosecution rushes the case to trial where the lack of hard evidence doesn't seem to matter.
A Calamity of Souls is one of David Baldacci's most personal novels. The author, raised in Richmond, Virginia, notes that the book has many autobiographical elements and that he started writing the novel over a decade ago. It's quite a tour de force - perhaps his best. I'm a big fan of his entertaining, action-packed series work but this book is much different given the subject matter. Jack Lee is a great character. While a talented attorney, this case gives him the chance to truly stand for something. Desiree is a force of nature who is brilliant yet realizes she is fighting an uphill, exhausting battle every day of her life. This riveting story kept me glued and very angry.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Novel Suspects Insiders for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this stirring book.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
A Calamity of Souls is one of David Baldacci's most personal novels. The author, raised in Richmond, Virginia, notes that the book has many autobiographical elements and that he started writing the novel over a decade ago. It's quite a tour de force - perhaps his best. I'm a big fan of his entertaining, action-packed series work but this book is much different given the subject matter. Jack Lee is a great character. While a talented attorney, this case gives him the chance to truly stand for something. Desiree is a force of nature who is brilliant yet realizes she is fighting an uphill, exhausting battle every day of her life. This riveting story kept me glued and very angry.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Novel Suspects Insiders for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this stirring book.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
March 7, 2024
More than anything else, this story - which the author says he started to write more than a decade ago - provides an unsettling look at a part of our history that these days, IMHO, many folks seem to want to shove under the rug where, also IMHO, it doesn't belong. And yes, it tends to get a bit "preachy" in spots, but if the message brings edification to just a few readers, that's fine by me. Set in 1968 in Virginia, where some residents are trying to live with new laws that protect the rights of some others (some accepting, others not so much), it centers on Jack Lee, a white lawyer who finds himself representing a Black man charged with the gruesome murder of a wealthy, elderly husband and wife. The second the man was found near the dead bodies, he was presumed guilty by virtually all the powers-that-be; so without hard evidence to the contrary, the man is destined for a lifetime behind bars at best.
And while Jack is a talented, experienced attorney, he's never dealt with a capital case - much less the blowback from those who believe his client has no real standing as a human being and therefore doesn't deserve someone to defend him (certainly not a white man). The situation gets what could be a bit of a break with the appearance of Desiree DuBose, a seasoned Black lawyer from Chicago who's made a name for herself with exactly this type of case. She and Jack form a somewhat uneasy alliance, both knowing that without the other, the defendant cannot possibly get a fair trial.
Quickly, though, they realize that outside of a couple of personal friends, the two of them are the only ones inside the courtroom who give a rip about fairness. To everyone else, their client is Black, guilty as charged and deserves to die - the sooner the better. As do, apparently, those who dare to try to prevent that from happening.
Of course, the backstories of the client, Jerome Washington, Jack and his family and Desiree add enlightenment to this complex story - as do the efforts of the aforesaid powers-that-be to "convince" Jack and Desiree to back off and allow the natural order of things to remain the status quo (this is the deep South, after all). More than that I can't say without giving too much away except that it's an exceptionally well-written book that's worth reading. Especially now.
And while Jack is a talented, experienced attorney, he's never dealt with a capital case - much less the blowback from those who believe his client has no real standing as a human being and therefore doesn't deserve someone to defend him (certainly not a white man). The situation gets what could be a bit of a break with the appearance of Desiree DuBose, a seasoned Black lawyer from Chicago who's made a name for herself with exactly this type of case. She and Jack form a somewhat uneasy alliance, both knowing that without the other, the defendant cannot possibly get a fair trial.
Quickly, though, they realize that outside of a couple of personal friends, the two of them are the only ones inside the courtroom who give a rip about fairness. To everyone else, their client is Black, guilty as charged and deserves to die - the sooner the better. As do, apparently, those who dare to try to prevent that from happening.
Of course, the backstories of the client, Jerome Washington, Jack and his family and Desiree add enlightenment to this complex story - as do the efforts of the aforesaid powers-that-be to "convince" Jack and Desiree to back off and allow the natural order of things to remain the status quo (this is the deep South, after all). More than that I can't say without giving too much away except that it's an exceptionally well-written book that's worth reading. Especially now.
April 20, 2024
This book is nothing short of a masterpiece. By far equal or superior to any courtroom legal drama by John Grisham. Probably Baldacci's best novel yet. There is SO much factual historical information packed into these nearly 500 pages that it would require spoilers to state them all. I will just say that given the emotional pull of the characters in this novel it remained true to life throughout and doesn't gloss over anything. If I were going to fault the book in any way it could only be said that at times the story came across as a bit too "preachy." However, in hindsight I think the tone was necessary to get the full impact across.
The setting is Southern Virginia in 1968 when the upshot of the 1964 Civil Rights law was beginning to hit home and being rejected by the old Jim Crow South. Old times and injustices die hard and we are faced with the presence of real-life characters such as George Wallace and Bull Connor.
I can tell you from personal experience that the story is factual. When I was a young gal I worked in the summer of 1964 at the Democratic Convention and I witnessed Bull Connor with his billy club in hand. I saw the Free Mississippi delegation on the Atlantic City boardwalk and eventually after the introduction of the Civil Rights Plank in the Party platform watched as they gained at least a small representation on the Convention floor. I watched Connor and his delegation walk out and overnight watched the Dixiecrats flee the Democratic Party and align with Republicans bringing their entrenched prejudices with them.
These times in Southern Virginia hearkened back to times when not only blacks but also women of any color were barely considered "people." It was a time of solid rule by white men and no one else.
It is a necessary reminder for all of us today lest we slide back in any way to the dark past.
The setting is Southern Virginia in 1968 when the upshot of the 1964 Civil Rights law was beginning to hit home and being rejected by the old Jim Crow South. Old times and injustices die hard and we are faced with the presence of real-life characters such as George Wallace and Bull Connor.
I can tell you from personal experience that the story is factual. When I was a young gal I worked in the summer of 1964 at the Democratic Convention and I witnessed Bull Connor with his billy club in hand. I saw the Free Mississippi delegation on the Atlantic City boardwalk and eventually after the introduction of the Civil Rights Plank in the Party platform watched as they gained at least a small representation on the Convention floor. I watched Connor and his delegation walk out and overnight watched the Dixiecrats flee the Democratic Party and align with Republicans bringing their entrenched prejudices with them.
These times in Southern Virginia hearkened back to times when not only blacks but also women of any color were barely considered "people." It was a time of solid rule by white men and no one else.
It is a necessary reminder for all of us today lest we slide back in any way to the dark past.
July 16, 2024
**** 7/16/24 **** Just finished this 14-hour audiobook, easily listened to on faster speed. Baldacci surprised me with the ending, but I'm still giving this a solid 5 stars as pretty much a historical fiction/legal thriller dealing with 1960s racism and sexism. The portrayal of the primary protagonists made it feel modern, and I could actually see a legal series based on them. Baldacci fans will root for the good guys here.
**** 7/15/24 **** I'm a big Baldacci fan - somehow his mix of plot + character development fits my reading style well - and Calamity of Souls is no different. We are confronted with 1960's era racism in a legal thriller that is very believable, and sadly, still rings true in many ways. The characters are people who are a mix of very flawed to successful, proud, tough, brave people, and as readers we root for the underdog legally, professionally, and romantically.
Baldacci provides a self-narrated introduction that is partly an explanation for some of the distasteful, but accurate, language used in the novel, and partly about his motivation to write the book, and how important he feels the message is.
I'm listening to the audio version, which is amazing, and includes a veritable cast of narrators, with very high production value (a testament to the power of Baldacci's popularity & economic impact to the publishing industry). So far, so good, and I'll update my review upon completion.
**** 7/15/24 **** I'm a big Baldacci fan - somehow his mix of plot + character development fits my reading style well - and Calamity of Souls is no different. We are confronted with 1960's era racism in a legal thriller that is very believable, and sadly, still rings true in many ways. The characters are people who are a mix of very flawed to successful, proud, tough, brave people, and as readers we root for the underdog legally, professionally, and romantically.
Baldacci provides a self-narrated introduction that is partly an explanation for some of the distasteful, but accurate, language used in the novel, and partly about his motivation to write the book, and how important he feels the message is.
I'm listening to the audio version, which is amazing, and includes a veritable cast of narrators, with very high production value (a testament to the power of Baldacci's popularity & economic impact to the publishing industry). So far, so good, and I'll update my review upon completion.
April 14, 2024
From the author's note:
"I wanted to make this a story of two people from divergent life experiences who come together to tackle a problem as difficult as any America has ever confronted. I wanted it to be an unwieldy, fractious partnership [...]. I wanted each to learn from the other, and for them to eventually find mutual respect and empathy for one another. In the end, what can we strive for that is more vital, for all of us?"
Baldacci's most personal and profound work yet. Set in 1968 southern Virginia, this is equal parts courtroom drama, family tragedy, and parable for the state of the United States. As explained in the foreword by the author amd the publisher, this book uses inexcusable language and behavior, amd tries to deal with a past that should never be forgotten. It's not an easy read, and if it makes anyone as prepulsed and angry as me, I think that's a job well done by Baldacci.
Y'all just need to start listening to each other, talk things out. It takes a lot of work to be angry all the time. And what good ever comes out of it? What good comes out of hating folks for no reason? Now, kindness and respect go a long, long way. We learned that in school and at church, and those lessons should last a lifetime and maybe we need to go back to them. And then maybe when enough of has have done that, we might have a decent shot of being united for a long time to come.
"I wanted to make this a story of two people from divergent life experiences who come together to tackle a problem as difficult as any America has ever confronted. I wanted it to be an unwieldy, fractious partnership [...]. I wanted each to learn from the other, and for them to eventually find mutual respect and empathy for one another. In the end, what can we strive for that is more vital, for all of us?"
Baldacci's most personal and profound work yet. Set in 1968 southern Virginia, this is equal parts courtroom drama, family tragedy, and parable for the state of the United States. As explained in the foreword by the author amd the publisher, this book uses inexcusable language and behavior, amd tries to deal with a past that should never be forgotten. It's not an easy read, and if it makes anyone as prepulsed and angry as me, I think that's a job well done by Baldacci.
Y'all just need to start listening to each other, talk things out. It takes a lot of work to be angry all the time. And what good ever comes out of it? What good comes out of hating folks for no reason? Now, kindness and respect go a long, long way. We learned that in school and at church, and those lessons should last a lifetime and maybe we need to go back to them. And then maybe when enough of has have done that, we might have a decent shot of being united for a long time to come.
June 16, 2024
Baldacci is by far my most read author and I have enjoyed so many of this stories. However, I'll admit I've experienced disappointment with some of Baldacci's books in the last few years. So with that said, I was so happy that I enjoyed this one. I was pulled in and held hostage. It was a sad story but there were some interesting twists and it was always in motion.
Now, I hate to say it, but this one did suffer from predictability, high horse soap boxes, and character clichés, but everything else was typical Baldacci in a good way. So 4 stars.
Now, I hate to say it, but this one did suffer from predictability, high horse soap boxes, and character clichés, but everything else was typical Baldacci in a good way. So 4 stars.
April 10, 2024
This book is nothing like any of the others that I have read by this author. It is a standalone that deals heavily with desegregation in the South during the late '60s. As we all know, this was a difficult time for America, especially in the southern part of the country. I find it interesting that Mr. Baldacci would publish this novel now when America is yet again having racial issues and an election is on the near horizon. But as someone else said, this is a "cause" book, and it shines as such.
It is a difficult book to read at times and not just because of the politics, bigotry, and bias - it is also difficult to read because it has been done before, although with a tad more subtlety. This book just pounds you over the head with hatred -aggressively.
It did have an interesting little twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
This book is very predictable, and I felt that the characters lacked something; some emotion, and I couldn't 'feel' for them.
For comparison, try the classic book To Kill a Mockingbird
*ARC was supplied by the publisher Grand Central Publishing | Hachette Book Group, the author, and NetGalley.
It is a difficult book to read at times and not just because of the politics, bigotry, and bias - it is also difficult to read because it has been done before, although with a tad more subtlety. This book just pounds you over the head with hatred -aggressively.
It did have an interesting little twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
This book is very predictable, and I felt that the characters lacked something; some emotion, and I couldn't 'feel' for them.
For comparison, try the classic book To Kill a Mockingbird
*ARC was supplied by the publisher Grand Central Publishing | Hachette Book Group, the author, and NetGalley.
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