There are a few books that have left an indelible mark on the human psyche all around the world. And some writers are adored the world over.
To Kill a Mockingbird is one such book and Harper Lee that writer.
And when you have just one published book from that author (not counting the Go Set a Watchman) in her lifetime, then one is intrigued.
I picked up “Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee” By Casey Cep for merely one reason that it had ‘Harper Lee’ written on the jacket.
Like many others, I got confused, thinking that this is Lee’s last unfinished book that is completed by another author.
But I was pleasantly surprised when I was halfway through the book. And although the book wasn’t what I initially thought it would be, nevertheless it turned out to be an absolute gem.
Rating
★★★★ (4 out of 5)
The Storyline
Half of the book tells a five-decade-old story of Reverend Wille Maxwell of Alabama who was a black preacher and was accused of murdering five of his family members. But he was never convicted.
The Reverend has taken multiple life insurance policies for his family members, and suddenly, people around him start dropping dead. The police and Insurance companies although convinced that Reverend is the murderer could never prove it.
People in the village were scared of him and insinuated that he is a voodoo practitioner. But despite all the rumors and unfounded stories, nothing sinister could ever be established.
During the funeral of his teenage daughter, Maxwell was shot dead by a hard-working, law-abiding family man, Robert Burns.
Tom Radney, the lawyer who fought for the Reverend against Insurance companies (who were refusing his claims), defended Robert Burns and got him acquitted of the crime.
Harper Lee, who belonged to Monroeville, Alabama, got to know about this case, and her interest was piqued. She gathered mounds of information and documents regarding the case, interviewed family members and other people related to the case and was set to write a book about this black serial killer, which never came to fruition.
The remaining book describes the life of Harper Lee, who left Law to pursue a writing career in New York. Her Life was continually shuffling between NY and Monroeville. And it goes on to describe how she ended up with her first (and only) book and the difficulties she faced during her remaining lifetime while writing.
It also delves into her relationship with her friend Truman Capote, whom she helped on a few occasions, her family, her agent, and other people related to her book and research.
What I Think
“Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee” is a tour de force.
Although I began with a different assumption about the book (that it was a completion of Lee’s last work by another author), I was surprised and awed by the information about Lee’s life embedded in half of the book.
I have always wondered (like many others) about who Lee really was, why only one book, how was her life and things like that and I meant to read about it someday but Casey Cep presented all such information in such an interesting manner that it’s hard to put down the book.
The Reverend story comprises of only the first half and is fast paced and well written, but how Lee got involved in the case and her background, her success and struggles are well narrated in the second half.
The prose is beautiful and immaculate. And you do feel a little bit of southern charm in the book, which has always been a backdrop for most of Lee’s work.
Although, a few times you might feel the story is digressing or way too many details have been provided about a topic (which might be considered unnecessary) but it certainly compliments the story in some way or at least doesn’t feel like fluff.
Strangely the acknowledgments and References took up around 15% of the book.
Last Words
Furious Hours By Casey Cep is one of the best books of 2019 until now, and it meets the expectations of good writing. It could have easily been 2 books, one about the case and one about Lee’s life but the writer does a brilliant job balancing the two and giving a peek into the much-guarded life of Harper Lee to her fans around the world.
If you liked “To Kill a Mockingbird” and are interested to know more about Harper Lee, then this book is a must-read. It does sound like a biography at many points, and if you are simply looking for a True Crime novel, I would advise caution.
You can buy this book at a low price from Amazon.in
the book this week 