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Jul 21, 2016 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

The Lynching is an important book, necessary reading in these times of continued racial divide, killing, and strife. In it, Laurence Leamer tells the story of the murder of 19-year-old Michael Donald, a black man killed and hung from a tree by Ku Klux Klan members in Alabama in 1981.

Leamer weaves his story out of the fabric of Alabama history, including the political career of bigoted governor George Wallace and the insidious nature of the area’s United Klans of America (UKA) at the time.

The Lynching, while of great cultural importance, reads like a courtroom drama. Leamer deconstructs the criminal case against the two Klansmen who perpetrated the crime, and then, perhaps more significantly, details the civil case brought against UKA by civil rights lawyer Morris Dees. It was the civil case where Dees was tasked with the seemingly impossible, to prove that Donald’s murder was not only the action of two despicable men, but also part of a conspiracy orchestrated by the UKA.

All characters in Leamer’s story are fleshed out in the most detailed manner. The book is riveting for the entirety of its almost 350 pages. It will consume you. Heroically, Dees wins his lawsuit against UKA, and ends up crippling the Klan organization in Alabama.

It’s worth repeating. The Lynching is an important book. Aside from the brilliant storytelling and detailed reporting, it puts historical perspective on and reminder of this country’s nauseating racial history. To move forward, we must remember where we’ve been. Read The Lynching and never forget.

(www.harpercollins.com) (www.leamer.com)

Author rating: 8.5/10