Because of the hurry-scurry of the fall, Debbie and I have tabled our joint book review for a few weeks. I decided to share a book, The Barn, that everyone should read, but it is tough, sad, and depressing. How is that for a recommendation?
Because I had a 10-hour drive from Spokane (plus needed a couple hours more!), I downloaded the audible version. Narrated by the author the truth of the story touched me even when his raspy voice (on 1.25 speed) sometimes distracted my thoughts.
Based on the life and death of Emmett Till in 1955, the story relates a young teen from Chicago who visits his grandmother during summer break.
With Chicago more open to Blacks, he is unacquainted with many southern mindsets of the time including changing to an all-Black train car, being unable to enter many establishments and then only through a back door, or looking at a white woman. Not knowing the rules is inadequate explanation when Emmett (eyewitness reviews vary) is kidnapped from his bed, thrown in the back of a pick-up, driven to a barn, and eventually beaten to death.
While I have been aware of these events, the book adds details based on research including wading through volumes of text and engaging in many interviews. Piecing it together is a work of art.
Much of this intricate history I did not learn in school even though I always had super history teachers. In high school during school integration, this topic would have been ideal for discussion and examination, but we never even skimmed the surface.
Yet today we accept the importance of Emmett and how it changed or at least started to change, beliefs and conduct.
The Barn is divided into four sections. The first describes the scenario mentioned in my opening paragraph while the next three examine the ripple effect of Emmett’s death and ensuing investigation.
These dig into other Civil Rights activism and notes how our country, in some ways, transformed. It also delves into the fact that without parameters in place, many horrific acts might just happen again. Jealousy, misunderstanding, and hatred are horrifyingly embedded.
During interviews conducted by Thompson who is from the area, he admits that he did not know many facts about Till’s death.
Time and secrecy had hidden much of what happened including that the current owners of that same barn had no idea of its history. The author shares insight on the ongoing poverty of the surrounding area and how loss of industry and key agricultural crops like cotton have destroyed the positive self-image of many residents.
For years I have listened to Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61” without realizing that he is referring to the main road through Drew, Mississippi, where the barn is located. Paying more attention, I hear the deep message that Dylan worked to convey. As with many lyrics I may have sung along but never grasped the meaning within. One book review includes the message “… no rewrites or erasures of history here. An imperative read.”
Another reader states, “This book is not a retelling of the crime – a story Till’s family, among others, has already published – but also a rich and wandering history of the township where Till died…[and] the enormous web of interconnected people.”
Although I hesitate to recommend this well-researched biography, at the same time I am glad I incorporated this historical knowledge into my repertoire of understanding. I don’t mean just the wretchedness of the killing and the trial and cover-up that followed, but to better recognize my own gaps in learning as well as personal biases.
To read or t o listen? Listening engaged my mind during a long drive but I missed highlighting key points as I do when I read on my phone. The latter forced me to rethink, check reviews, read summaries, and ponder the various occurrences which also forced me to further expand my mind. Either works.
Because I prefer non-fiction, I feel enlightened even though devasted with the wide array of information provided. If you do not enjoy a “deep dive” this may be a title you want to avoid. I will say, I am a better, stronger person having read it. I admire the dedication and hard work of Thompson that encompasses his own past and upbringing with the death of Emmett Till. Not everyone could be that brave.