“Calamity of Souls” is set in southern Virginia in 1968, a time when George Wallace was running for president of the United States on a platform of unity. Unity meaning separation of Blacks and Whites. It was also the Jim Crow era and during the Vietnam war. Baldacci said this book is somewhat autobiographical because he grew up in the 60s and 70s and wanted to be an attorney.
Jerome Washington is employed as a gardener for a wealthy white couple in Franklin County, Virginia. The couple thinks highly of him and has even had his family over for a cookout and to swim in the pool. It is Friday afternoon and Jerome is to be paid for the week’s work. He goes to the back door and knocks, but there is no answer. He goes to the front door, but no one answers. He goes back to the back door and enters the home. He finds both the husband and wife on the floor covered in blood. Before he can go for help, the police arrive. He is immediately taken into custody on the charge of double homicide.
Robert “Jack” Lee is a local attorney who has been in practice a few years. He is asked to take the case to defend Jerome. He is hesitant to take the case, but he agrees to visit him at the county jail. When Jack sees Jerome, who has been beaten and is obviously suffering from broken ribs, he decides to take the case. Jack is struggling to gather evidence, and one of Wallace’s backers is trying to insure that Jerome is convicted. With his influence, the death penalty is reinstated. The prosecuting attorney surprises Jack by charging Jerome’s wife, Pearl, as an accomplice to murder.
When Jack is at a low point, Desiree Dubose, a Black civil rights attorney from the North, arrives to help. She has a reputation of defending Black peoples’ rights and winning more cases than losing. Jack and Desiree begin interviewing possible witnesses and trying to find evidence to prove that Jerome and Pearl are innocent. Jack and Desiree experience more hatred and racism than Jack expected, but Desiree is not surprised.
I found this book reminiscent of “To Kill A Mockingbird,” one of my all-time favorites. It involves a White man defending an innocent Black man, which brings hatred onto his family. As in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the themes are man’s inhumanity to man, the cruelness of mob mentality, courage, empathy and the importance of family.
I have read other books set in the 1960s and have been appalled by the use of the “N” word. Baldacci has found a way to convey the epithet without actually using it. I found it much easier to read and was not offended.
David Baldacci published his first novel, “Absolute Power,” in 1996. The feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 50 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers, and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for young readers. (www.davidbaldacci.com)
Cathy Lay Mayor grew up in Cullman and graduated from Cullman High School in 1976. She says when she writes book reviews, she tries to remember what Mrs. Gilbert taught her in 11th-grade English. She lived in Dothan for more than 30 years and is married with three adult children and six grandchildren. She retired to Panama City, but still calls Alabama home.
