Welcome to Litsy!

The Barn is the true story of a young black boy brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955. Emmitt Till was the boys name, and because he whistled at a white woman, he was murdered. What surprised me most about the book is that Wright Thompson grew up in Mississippi and was never taught about it in school. Even almost 70 years later, it's still not talked about. It seems to me that if we never discuss the past, how can we ever expect to ⬇️

I‘m trying not to use Amazon as much, but I had some kindle credits that were expiring so I decided to get this in preparation for 2025 #authoramonth.

This story of the murder of Emmett Till, told by a man who grew up near where it happened but never knew, is superb. Wrapping together local history, the murder itself, and deep knowledge of the area, it trends new ground from the equally good The Blood of Emmett Till. I‘m glad this story is no longer hidden and hearing the author come to terms with his own past ignorance and unintended racism is affecting.

I wasn‘t sure how I would feel about a white author sharing this story but wow, I blinked and I was over 100 pages. Apparently I don‘t care as long as the writing is good and it‘s not about white lady tears. So good!

while Charlie Harris and Diesel are exploring a farm Charlie had unexpectedly inherited, Diesel finds a literal skeleton in a closet. The next day a young man is found murdered in the woods. Charlie learns things about his family he had no idea of.

For once Diesel actually plays a part in the mystery rather than just accompanying Charlie wherever he goes. Have we acquired another recurring character in Alissa?

#sunlightwellness

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for a digital review copy. I hope the finished copy has a few family trees because there are some complicated relations. Wright Thompson tells the tale of a place trying to keep the secrets of the past buried, of family and friends who were haunted by the events of that Summer day and by the murderers and their accomplices who were allowed to go on living their wretched, self-serving lives.

Though Charlie‘s frequent worries over big family decisions seemed to take away from the actual mystery, I had fun getting back into Charlie and Diesel‘s latest case. And yes, librarians are all about free food and drinks at a conference, especially with very strict per diems (I know that from experience).

An interesting twist at the end that I did not see coming!

Mystery #withdualtimeline set in rural Mississippi. #aboutabook

Based on a devastating tornado that killed over 450 people in 1936. It‘s set in the town of Tupelo where I work.

#Basedonatruestory #AboutaBook

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Tupelo%E2%80%93Gainesville_tornado_outbreak