Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

I probably would not have picked up this novel if it hadn't been recommended by my friend Rita. I've never read anything by Tom Franklin, and I tend to read novels by women. But this story of the lives of two men in small-town Mississippi drew me in, and I just couldn't put it down until I learned what happened.

In 1982 Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood friends, despite their differences: Larry a poor, shy, outcast white boy; and Silas, a very poor, baseball star, black boy. But they had a connection, and enjoyed spending time together, until their parents found them out. Then Larry takes a girl out on a date and she never comes home, and he's branded a rapist and murderer, despite there being no evidence and him never serving any time. Silas, meanwhile, leaves to play baseball at Ole Miss.

Fast-forward 25 years, and Larry is the town outcast, labeled "Scary Larry" and living a life with no friends and very little human interaction. Silas has returned as the town constable. They both pretty much keep to themselves, until a local rich girl goes missing, a drug dealer is murdered, and Larry's past makes him once more a suspect.

Yes, the book is a murder mystery, but it's much more than that. It's about coming to terms with your past, and about being honest with yourself about who you are. It's about forgiveness, and redemption. And it's just a really good story about some really interesting characters. I definitely recommend it.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter