Devil in the Grove
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Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America Paperback – February 19, 2013
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Must-read, cannot-put-down history." (New York Times)
“Superb.” (Junot Diaz, author of This Is How You Lose Her )
“A powerful and well-told drama of Southern injustice.” (The Chicago Tribune )
“Devil in the Grove is a compelling look at the case that forged Thurgood Marshall’s perception of himself as a crusader for civil rights. . . . King’s style [is] at once suspenseful and historically meticulous” (Christian Science Monitor )
“Recreates an important yet overlooked moment in American history with a chilling, atmospheric narrative that reads more like a Southern Gothic novel than a work of history.” (Salon )
“A taut, intensely readable narrative.” (Boston Globe )
“The story’s drama and pathos make it a page-turner, but King’s attention to detail, fresh material, and evenhanded treatment of the villains make it a worthy contribution to the history of the period, while offering valuable insight into Marshall’s work and life.” (Publishers Weekly )
“A thoroughgoing study of one of the most important civil-rights cases argued by Thurgood Marshall in dismantling Jim Crow strictures. . . . Deeply researched and superbly composed.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
“A compelling chronicle.” (Booklist )
“Gripping. . . . Lively and multidimensional.” (Dallas Morning News )
“The tragic Groveland saga -- with its Faulknerian echoes of racial injustice spinning around an accusation of rape -- comes astonishingly alive in Gilbert King’s narrative. It is both heartbreaking and unforgettable.” (Wil Haygood, author of King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. )
“In the terrifying story of the Groveland boys Gilbert King recreates an extraordinary moment in America’s long, hard struggle for racial justice. Devil in the Grove is a harrowing, haunting, utterly mesmerizing book.” (Kevin Boyle, author of Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age )
“Gilbert King’s gut-wrenching, and captivating, narrative is civil rights literature at its best--meticulously researched, brilliantly written, and singularly focused on equal justice for all.” (Michael G. Long, author of Marshalling Justice: The Early Civil Rights Letters of Thurgood Marshall )
“This is a haunting and compelling story, one of many in the campaign for racial justice. . . . This book is important because it is disturbing. And in that regard we cannot walk away from the story it tells.” (Phyllis Vine, author of One Man's Castle )
“Gilbert King has done a remarkable job of weaving together history, sociology, law and detective work of his own, to reveal facts that even I, one of the defense counsel in the case, had not been aware of until now.” (Jack Greenberg, Alphonse Fletcher Professor of Law, Columbia University, former Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund. )
“[An] excellent book on a little known and horrifying incident in which four young black men were rounded up and accused of raping a white woman, readers cannot help but be awed by the bravery of those who took a stand in the late 1940s and early 1950s.” (San Francisco Chronicle )
“Its rich case history captures the beginning of the end of the most extreme forms of racism. . . . Very few books combine this depth of research and narrative power about a subject of such pivotal significance.” (Ira Katznelson, author of When Affirmative Action Was White and a former president of the American Political Science Association )
“Superb.” (Junot Diaz, author of This Is How You Lose Her )
“A powerful and well-told drama of Southern injustice.” (The Chicago Tribune )
“Devil in the Grove is a compelling look at the case that forged Thurgood Marshall’s perception of himself as a crusader for civil rights. . . . King’s style [is] at once suspenseful and historically meticulous” (Christian Science Monitor )
“Recreates an important yet overlooked moment in American history with a chilling, atmospheric narrative that reads more like a Southern Gothic novel than a work of history.” (Salon )
“A taut, intensely readable narrative.” (Boston Globe )
“The story’s drama and pathos make it a page-turner, but King’s attention to detail, fresh material, and evenhanded treatment of the villains make it a worthy contribution to the history of the period, while offering valuable insight into Marshall’s work and life.” (Publishers Weekly )
“A thoroughgoing study of one of the most important civil-rights cases argued by Thurgood Marshall in dismantling Jim Crow strictures. . . . Deeply researched and superbly composed.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
“A compelling chronicle.” (Booklist )
“Gripping. . . . Lively and multidimensional.” (Dallas Morning News )
“The tragic Groveland saga -- with its Faulknerian echoes of racial injustice spinning around an accusation of rape -- comes astonishingly alive in Gilbert King’s narrative. It is both heartbreaking and unforgettable.” (Wil Haygood, author of King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. )
“In the terrifying story of the Groveland boys Gilbert King recreates an extraordinary moment in America’s long, hard struggle for racial justice. Devil in the Grove is a harrowing, haunting, utterly mesmerizing book.” (Kevin Boyle, author of Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age )
“Gilbert King’s gut-wrenching, and captivating, narrative is civil rights literature at its best--meticulously researched, brilliantly written, and singularly focused on equal justice for all.” (Michael G. Long, author of Marshalling Justice: The Early Civil Rights Letters of Thurgood Marshall )
“This is a haunting and compelling story, one of many in the campaign for racial justice. . . . This book is important because it is disturbing. And in that regard we cannot walk away from the story it tells.” (Phyllis Vine, author of One Man's Castle )
“Gilbert King has done a remarkable job of weaving together history, sociology, law and detective work of his own, to reveal facts that even I, one of the defense counsel in the case, had not been aware of until now.” (Jack Greenberg, Alphonse Fletcher Professor of Law, Columbia University, former Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund. )
“[An] excellent book on a little known and horrifying incident in which four young black men were rounded up and accused of raping a white woman, readers cannot help but be awed by the bravery of those who took a stand in the late 1940s and early 1950s.” (San Francisco Chronicle )
“Its rich case history captures the beginning of the end of the most extreme forms of racism. . . . Very few books combine this depth of research and narrative power about a subject of such pivotal significance.” (Ira Katznelson, author of When Affirmative Action Was White and a former president of the American Political Science Association )
From the Back Cover
Devil in the Grove is the winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
Arguably the most important American lawyer of the twentieth century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the U.S. Supreme Court when he became embroiled in a case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and cost him his life.
In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor with the help of Sheriff Willis V. McCall, who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve. When a white seventeen-year-old girl cried rape, McCall pursued four young blacks who dared envision a future for themselves beyond the groves. The Ku Klux Klan joined the hunt, hell-bent on lynching the men who came to be known as "the Groveland Boys."
Associates thought it was suicidal for Marshall to wade into the "Florida Terror," but the young lawyer would not shrink from the fight despite continuous death threats against him.
Drawing on a wealth of never-before-published material, including the FBI's unredacted Groveland case files, as well as unprecedented access to the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund files, Gilbert King shines new light on this remarkable civil rights crusader.
More About the Author
Gilbert King is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Devil in the Grove, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in 2013. He has written about the Supreme Court and the death penalty for the New York Times and the Washington Post, as well as history for Smithsonian magazine. Devil in the Grove was also a finalist for the Chautauqua Prize, nominated for an Edgar Award for best fact crime, and the nonfiction runner-up for the 2013 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Lionsgate has acquired the rights for the film, which is slated for 2015. King's previous book, The Execution of Willie Francis was published in 2008. He lives in New York City with his wife, two daughters, and a French bulldog named Louis. For more information, please go to www.GilbertKing.com
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
100 of 104 people found the following review helpful
By
Dienne
TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on August 7, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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I don't often use the phrase "tour de force", but if it isn't applicable to this book, I don't know when it would be. Gilbert King has delivered a solid, in depth, thoroughly researched tome on not only one of the most brutal (although, sadly, little known) civil rights cases in American history, but also a thorough survey on the state of race relations in the American South in the late 1940s and early 1950s. For anyone who has ever wondered exactly what the "Southern Way of Life" is, you need look no further than this hate-fueled tale of widespread murder and mayhem.
In a surprisingly slim, albeit dense, 360 pages (of text, plus notes, etc.), King manages to paint a rich, detailed, sickening and enraging picture of Southern "justice" in the Sunshine State. The unsupported word of a white woman (girl, really, whom few really believe) and that of her drunken on-again, off-again husband launch a series of events that leave two young black men dead - one hunted like a dog, the other shot in cold blood - along with two more wrongfully jailed, one on death row. Along the way we witness the racial intimidation and violence of the KKK, the death by firebombing of civil rights leader Harry T. Moore, and the slow turning of the wheels of justice in the nation's highest court. Also along the way we meet the prosecutor, Jesse Hunter, who comes to believe in the innocence of the "Groveland Boys", yet who prosecutes them anyway; the born and bred Southern journalist Mabel Norris Reese whose slow change of heart gets her labeled a "pinko"; and the Southern sheriff in charge of it all, Willis McCall.Read more ›
In a surprisingly slim, albeit dense, 360 pages (of text, plus notes, etc.), King manages to paint a rich, detailed, sickening and enraging picture of Southern "justice" in the Sunshine State. The unsupported word of a white woman (girl, really, whom few really believe) and that of her drunken on-again, off-again husband launch a series of events that leave two young black men dead - one hunted like a dog, the other shot in cold blood - along with two more wrongfully jailed, one on death row. Along the way we witness the racial intimidation and violence of the KKK, the death by firebombing of civil rights leader Harry T. Moore, and the slow turning of the wheels of justice in the nation's highest court. Also along the way we meet the prosecutor, Jesse Hunter, who comes to believe in the innocence of the "Groveland Boys", yet who prosecutes them anyway; the born and bred Southern journalist Mabel Norris Reese whose slow change of heart gets her labeled a "pinko"; and the Southern sheriff in charge of it all, Willis McCall.Read more ›
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50 of 54 people found the following review helpful
By
Irish Girl
on March 19, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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Gilbert King is to be commended for this accomplishment. His writing style is masterful and his extensive research is exhaustive and thorough. One can only wonder why this case has not been dissected in the past. I continually had to remind myself that this was not a true crime novel but a non-fiction book depicting the worst of the Jim Crow era. Mr. King's remarkable style leaves the reader somewhat breathless in its wake and he is to be commended for offering us a work that will, no doubt, be a classic study of Thurgood Marshall's diligent work, through the courts, to attain equal rights for all Americans.
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
By
Traveler
on March 12, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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Only wish I could rate DEVIL IN THE GROVE higher than five stars! Thought Mr.King's "Execution of Willie Francis" was a great read but this is even better - if that's possible. Mr. King has perfected the art of writing about historical events that result in the reader feeling that she/he is right on the scene as these events unfold. Should be required reading for today's students. What's next, Mr. King??? I can hardly wait.
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66 of 81 people found the following review helpful
By
Michael Engel
on March 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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As I write this review, there is a nationwide controversy over the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, where local law enforcement officials have justified the murder as "self-defense".
Sanford is a half-hour drive from Groveland, where the story told by this superb book took place. And the events in both cases are eerily similar. Racism is by no means dead, the election of Barack Obama notwithstanding.
That said, I will simply add that I could not put this book down. I was enthralled. It is a skillfully written, heart-rending, yet inspiring narrative about the struggle led by Thurgood Marshall and others, who risked their lives to create a "new America".
The one negative feeling I was left with is the realization that courageous and self-sacrificing leadership of this kind in our times in America is sadly lacking. IMHO, this is particularly true among those who need it the most, such as the black community. To be more specific, those at the top today--and I include the President--hardly bear comparison to the likes of Thurgood Marshall. If you disagree with that assessment, read this book to understand the real meaning of what is involved in creating "change we can believe in".
Actually, read it anyway, no matter what your point of view. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Sanford is a half-hour drive from Groveland, where the story told by this superb book took place. And the events in both cases are eerily similar. Racism is by no means dead, the election of Barack Obama notwithstanding.
That said, I will simply add that I could not put this book down. I was enthralled. It is a skillfully written, heart-rending, yet inspiring narrative about the struggle led by Thurgood Marshall and others, who risked their lives to create a "new America".
The one negative feeling I was left with is the realization that courageous and self-sacrificing leadership of this kind in our times in America is sadly lacking. IMHO, this is particularly true among those who need it the most, such as the black community. To be more specific, those at the top today--and I include the President--hardly bear comparison to the likes of Thurgood Marshall. If you disagree with that assessment, read this book to understand the real meaning of what is involved in creating "change we can believe in".
Actually, read it anyway, no matter what your point of view. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By
Fastwalk
on March 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover
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This book is completely absorbing, providing a powerful account of how the racial caste system of Florida in the immediate post-World War II years led to hideous injustice against four young black men who were falsely accused of raping a white woman. The author puts the tragic story into the context of the economic power of rising barons of Florida's citrus farms, with Florida orange juice newly dominating a market once led by California. This led to efforts, aided and abetted by county sheriffs, to push black workers into peonage. Any black workers who raised their heads and tried to create better futures for their children through buying land or establishing small businesses were vulnerable to extreme backlash by the joint forces of the KKK and local law enforcement. The tensions were further increased by the desire of returning black veterans to claim political rights and a share in the democracy for which the war had ostensibly been fought. In this combustible mix, four young black men were targeted by whites for allegedly raping a white woman; one was shot dead and the other three barely escaped lynching. Their case came to the attention of the national NAACP and the book focuses on the efforts of Thurgood Marshall and other NAACP lawyers to save the young men as they faced trial in a legal system designed to railroad them. The book shows the courage and difficulties of the NAACP lawyers and their rivalries as they strove for public attention and the ability to argue cases before the Supreme Court. It also puts the case into the context of the NAACP's struggle to end segregation in the schools and in other public arenas, with these broader issues creating competing claims for resources.
This book is clear, very well researched, and provides an unforgettable picture of the workings of the racial caste system and its terrible costs.
This book is clear, very well researched, and provides an unforgettable picture of the workings of the racial caste system and its terrible costs.
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