English teacher Dr. Bonnie Stanford is currently reading “A Calamity of Souls” by David Baldacci.
“What is our perspective of race relations now versus when we read about things in our history?” Stanford said.
The historical fiction story takes place in the 1960s in southern Virginia and follows the case of an African American man who is charged with the murder of the white couple he worked for. The story challenges the social constructs and issues regarding racism and discrimination that were highly prominent in that setting.
“We’re in Virginia, southern Virginia, and so there are a lot of things that he doesn’t have control over in his life,” Stanford said.
Stanford appreciated how the story examines several perspectives as the author works through the plot. She explained that the narrative primarily follows the defendant’s attorney in the case but often jumps around other perspectives such as the backstory of the murdered couple and their children, of the African American man and his family, and even of the lawyer and his parents.
The story dissects how all of these people’s lives are intertwined because of this case and the impact it will have on not only specific people, but the community as a whole.
“It’s just a really interesting character study,” Stanford said.
Published on March 26, 2024, this novel is relatively new. However, Baldacci wrote the story over the course of a decade.
“He writes a lot of books. He’s got a lot of best sellers,” Stanford said. “Typically, he writes one or two a year, but this one, he was just so embedded in the story. He wanted to get it right.”
Stanford explained that the author specifically dedicated much of his time to finding the right dialect and language of the place and time period.
“The story that’s unfolding could’ve taken place anywhere in the country in the ‘60s,” Stanford said. “Knowing that makes it a lot more powerful.”
Ultimately, it is an impactful book about working to overcome racial prejudice that Stanford highly recommends.