Status
Available
Collection
Publication
New York : Harper, c2010.
Description
"A saga of race and retribution in the deep South that says as much about Mississippi today as it does about the mysteries of the past"--Provided by publisher.
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member BellaFoxx
Convicted of the rape of a white woman in Mississippi, Willie McGee was executed in 1951, and the mysteries surrounding his case live on in this provocative tale about justice in the deep South.
The first time I heard the name Willie McGee was in a song by the Flobots about Anne Braden. Anne Braden
This case raises several questions, among them: Was Mrs. Hawkins really raped? Did Mr. McGee do it? Did he get a fair trial? Did the politics of the people trying to save his life actually hurt his case?
Alex Heard considers these questions and more, he researched the case extensively, including interviews with any survivors he could find, including the children of Willie McGee and Willette Hawkins. Besides considering this one specific case, we are also treated to a lesson in the politics of the day, the injustices suffered by black people in the south at that time. He ties in other lynchings from the time period and statistics and the prevailing ‘opinions’ of the time period.
In total a very informative, interesting, well researched, and I believe factual telling of this event. I recommend this book.
The first time I heard the name Willie McGee was in a song by the Flobots about Anne Braden. Anne Braden
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is mentioned twice in this book, but the book is mainly about Willie McGee and then next Willette Hawkins, the woman he is accused of raping and then the politics of the day, in Mississippi in the late 1940s. It starts in November 2, 1945 with the assault on Willette and ends on May 8, 1951, with the execution of Willie McGee. Of course that is not really the end, since there was great controversy raised about this case that continues today. His execution is referred to as ‘legalized lynching’ by some, and justice by others.This case raises several questions, among them: Was Mrs. Hawkins really raped? Did Mr. McGee do it? Did he get a fair trial? Did the politics of the people trying to save his life actually hurt his case?
Alex Heard considers these questions and more, he researched the case extensively, including interviews with any survivors he could find, including the children of Willie McGee and Willette Hawkins. Besides considering this one specific case, we are also treated to a lesson in the politics of the day, the injustices suffered by black people in the south at that time. He ties in other lynchings from the time period and statistics and the prevailing ‘opinions’ of the time period.
In total a very informative, interesting, well researched, and I believe factual telling of this event. I recommend this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BellaFoxx
Convicted of the rape of a white woman in Mississippi, Willie McGee was executed in 1951, and the mysteries surrounding his case live on in this provocative tale about justice in the deep South.
The first time I heard the name Willie McGee was in a song by the Flobots about Anne Braden. Anne Braden
This case raises several questions, among them: Was Mrs. Hawkins really raped? Did Mr. McGee do it? Did he get a fair trial? Did the politics of the people trying to save his life actually hurt his case?
Alex Heard considers these questions and more, he researched the case extensively, including interviews with any survivors he could find, including the children of Willie McGee and Willette Hawkins. Besides considering this one specific case, we are also treated to a lesson in the politics of the day, the injustices suffered by black people in the south at that time. He ties in other lynchings from the time period and statistics and the prevailing 'opinions' of the time period.
In total this is a very informative, interesting, well researched, and I believe factual telling of this event. I recommend this book.
The first time I heard the name Willie McGee was in a song by the Flobots about Anne Braden. Anne Braden
Show More
is mentioned twice in this book, but the book is mainly about Willie McGee and then next Willette Hawkins, the woman he is accused of raping and then the politics of the day, in Mississippi in the late 1940s. It starts in November 2, 1945 with the assault on Willette and ends on May 8, 1951, with the execution of Willie McGee. Of course that is not really the end, since there was great controversy raised about this case that continues today. His execution is referred to as 'legalized lynching' by some, and justice by others.This case raises several questions, among them: Was Mrs. Hawkins really raped? Did Mr. McGee do it? Did he get a fair trial? Did the politics of the people trying to save his life actually hurt his case?
Alex Heard considers these questions and more, he researched the case extensively, including interviews with any survivors he could find, including the children of Willie McGee and Willette Hawkins. Besides considering this one specific case, we are also treated to a lesson in the politics of the day, the injustices suffered by black people in the south at that time. He ties in other lynchings from the time period and statistics and the prevailing 'opinions' of the time period.
In total this is a very informative, interesting, well researched, and I believe factual telling of this event. I recommend this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jguidry
This was a very well-researched text. Almost too well-researched. The author didn't know what to leave out. But the core of the information was interesting, even though it was upsetting. Heard did an excellent job of trying to remain unbiased as his research into the McGee tragedy continued. What
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kept this from being a five-star book for me was simply my personal preference for non-fiction to be told in a linear fashion. Heard jumped around too much in his storytelling (he followed his research path) for my personal taste. Show Less
Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — Fact Crime — 2011)