Crooked Letter: A Novel, Crooked Letter

I am originally from Mississippi so I enjoy stories about the location and time. I read this book quickly because the plot was excellent and the good guy versus bad guy was not according to the usual pattern. I look forward to more from Tom Franklin.

This book was a fantastic read. Kept me intrigued from the very beginning. You will not be disappointed if you purchase this book. Twists and turns make a great book. I had no idea it would end the way it did. Thanks Tom Franklin!

This is one of those books that you can recommend to any reader. Like mystery? Got that. Like literary quality? Oh yeah. Like compelling human interest? Of course. Like to just get lost in reading a book? Guaranteed. Drama, emotion, love, hate? All that and more. Can't go wrong with this.

I will now go back and read his earlier works. I just wish there was a way to know in advance that I would like an author so much so I could start with his first offerings instead of his most recent. (Although, this is NOT a serial and I suspect is quite unrelated to his earlier work).

This book is well crafted. The author, through his well crafted words, has given us the slow relaxed way of life in rural Mississippi. When I first started reading the book it felt too slow and I wasn't sure I would to finish it, but I really liked the characters and the storyline, so I kept reading and I'm glad I did. The method of slowly developing the plot suited the locale and the characters. The author utilized dialect and phonetic spelling of certain southern pronunciations , but it is not distracting or overdone. Over all this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

I was intrigued by the the two main characters, Silas and Larry. When I finished this read, I really wanted to discuss the story with another reader. I'm afraid if I write too much I might give the story away. What comes out strong is the values of these two protagonist. Can we really truly forgive or forget one another?
I liked the book on many levels. I think the book jacket might misguide the reader in the plot of the story. I'm not sure I would call this novel a page turner, but it was definitely worth the read!

What a wonderful, emotional roller coaster. The story focuses on two characters who have a past that weaves in and out of the story until all of the ends start to come together. I could not put this story down for very long and felt the sadness, frustration, anger, and steadfast survival engendered by each character. I truly enjoyed the complexity of the story which mimicked real life from the choices and decisions we make as individuals and as members of society. I will look for other books by this author.

This was a very good story, and certainly is pertinent to today's bullying issues and how they can have impact for a full lifetime. The story did a good job of addressing racism in the 60s/70s; however, I found the writing style very uncomfortable. Sentence structure was odd, and many times I found I had to reread a sentence to be certain I understood the meaning. I would recommend this book because I know this story will stay with me.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, started off slowly for me, but after approximately 75 pages,I was hooked on the story.

Silas Jones and Larry Ott went to school together in the 1970's. This was a time of racial unrest, and since Silas was African American and Larry was white it was difficult for them to be friends outwardly. Despite this racial discord, Larry and Silas did have a friendship for a short time, and although their friendship lasted only 3 months, it had far-reaching impact for both of them.

Larry, who was a misunderstood, awkward, friendless and emotionally abused child became an ostracized pariah after taking a classmate out on a date and the girl never returned home and was never seen again. Larry remained in his hometown, living in his parents' house, essentially having no customers for his father's automotive business, and selling off parts of his property in order to survive. Larry was desperate for a friend, but he was always a loner, and after the unsolved disappearance, Larry was shunned openly by society.

Silas was a talented baseball player as a young man. He grew up incredibly poor, and although his mother did the very best she could to take care of him, he never quite understood all the sacrifices she made for him. As an adult, he is the local constable and well respected in the community.

When a local college student goes missing, Larry is in the spotlight again.

I haven't read many stories that took place in the 1970(s) where the African American character is portrayed as thriving and the white character is depicted as down on his luck. It was a very interesting perspective.

I enjoyed the flashbacks of both Larry's and Silas' past. However, there are few joyous memories for either of the men. Even though both men grew up with opposite circumstances, the time was a difficult one, and they suffered for it.

Initially, I struggled with the story, but I am so glad I persevered. It truly was an engaging story, one I would have been sad to have missed.

This book went straight to my 2012 favorites list.

The first thing that struck me about this novel is how totally plausible the whole story is. In fact, I can't picture it happening any differently than is played out. That is probably the most amazing thing about this book. You will find yourself nodding at the truthful portrayal of human nature when placed in a situation that requires making a stand. Often taking an easy way out leads to life altering suffering.

Larry Ott, a very likable young man growing up in the 80's on a steady diet of Stephen King novels (sounds very familiar) is destined to be the whipping boy both within his family and in his community at large. He reads too much and doesn't fit in. His father rejects him, as do his schoolmates. Transferred to a school in which whites are by far the minority makes him even more an outcast. Until he meets Silas, a dirt poor African American child who lives with his mother in an old shack on Larry's father's land. These boys become friends in an area where friendships like this do not occur but rather than liberating them it is a matter to be kept secret, as are most other things in this community.

That is really what this book is all about. Secrets. Secrets that protect and those that enslave these characters.

In Larry's junior year of high school he takes a gorgeous girl from his high school out on a date. A date from which she never returns. Larry is blamed for her disappearance and the effect on him and his family is nothing short of devastating. He is the community pariah, while Silas (now called '32 after his jersey number) becomes a local baseball hero and later a popular constable. The boys, now men, have not spoken in decades.

Then, some 20 years later, another local girl goes missing and of course Larry is the prime suspect and the subject of a vicious attack, leaving him helpless in the ICU, hovering near death. As Larry is being set up for sacrifice as the designated scapegoat, Silas is his only hope for liberation.

I have rarely read a novel that went so deeply into characters as Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Masterfully written, the reader has a thorough understanding of the events and decisions that shaped these two men. Some situations were forced upon them; other situations were created by choices that they made. What is the price of carrying the badge of hero that you might not deserve? Why do some individuals seem to accept or even embrace a martyr's role?

Franklin takes his time in setting up the scene and giving us the back story. The writing style not only paints a vivid picture of the town and its inhabitants, but even captures the vernacular. You live in this town during the novel.

Then the story shifts to the present when Larry wakes up in the hospital and the novel takes off into an adrenalin charged race to the finish as the forces assemble around Larry to effect his final sacrifice. No reader will stop reading in the last quarter of the novel as Silas is committed to earn his heroic status at whatever the cost. No matter what secrets must be revealed.

Somebody please make this book into a move.

Thank you Mr. Franklin for a wonderful book. I will now read all your others! I love stories which focus on people and how their past impacts current and future events. This book made these people real. There were so many aspects of our recent history interwoven that it made me think about what I've experienced as a white woman who dated a bi-racial man many years ago at the university. I'm 60 now but those times impacted me forever and I thank you for good memories through your fabulous story.

This novel is essentially a murder mystery involving the evolution of the Old South Mississippi into the current era with the conflicts involved. The plot is tangled, usually not predictable, and the characters are well drawn. There is a strong social (history) lesson throughout and, having lived in the general area, I can attest to its accuracy. Having said that, the lesson is not offensive or preachy but simply factual and optimistic. I found myself sometimes strangely nostalgic reading some passages but thankful some things are gone forever. Overall, this is a good read and recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. The title is taken from the children's rhyme to remember how to spell Mississippi. This book has layers of mystery--murder mystery and family mystery both past and present. It is also a story of race in the south. The writing is quite good and the story is compelling.

The story takes place in small town Chabot, Mississippi. Larry is white and is an awkward kid who does not fit in with his classmates or his family. He grows up to inherit his father's automotive shop but he has no customers. Silas is the town constable. He is black and was a baseball star in high school and college. He returns to Chabot after military service. Larry and Silas have a complicated past. In high school, Larry takes a popular girl on a date. She is never seen again and Larry is accused of killing her, though he was never convicted due to lack of proof. Nonetheless, his life is ruined in the small town and he is the victim of gossip and harassment. In the present, a local college girl goes missing and Larry is accused of killing her. Again, no evidence is found. Eventually the truth comes out, but there are a lot of wounds in the process.

The novel moves back and forth in time and alternates between the perspectives of Silas and Larry. The mysteries slowly unfold and they both find friendship and the beginnings of redemption. The atmosphere of the "Deep South" was well done in my opinion. The story was very compelling. I could have read this in a couple of days if my schedule allowed. The writing was evocative and beautiful. The solutions to the mysteries were not too surprising, but they were well done. There is a nice slow unfolding to the story. This is a novel that would qualify as both a mystery and literary fiction.

This is an exceptional American novel. The mystery is almost secondary. The book is admirably well written, from the beautifully rendered dialogue to the author's descriptions of rural Mississippi and its people. It's a multilayered novel, but author Tom Franklin interweaves the plots seamlessly, keeping the action going (and the reader guessing). Best book I've read in years. This writer really deserves his royalty. Give Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter a try.

I find myself gravitating towards novels of dark and desperate times and people being able to make their way out of otherwise hopeless situations. This was one of those novels, recommended to me for my love of Donald Ray Pollock stories. It's a very easy read, very fast-moving, and I finished it certainly feeling a strong connection to the main characters

Crooked Letter Crooked Letter is an exquisite novel about loneliness, betrayal and being ostracized as an outsider. No one goes unscathed in life. We all know these experiences intimately in one way or another.

One of the best things about yearly Christmas letters is when my friends make book recommendations. This was mentioned by someone I trust and it was high on my list for 2013.

People decide who we are without knowing us. It reaches an initial peak in high school which is why it's such a painful time for so many and we never really leave it behind. The world is full of people making critical judgements that isolate us from each other. We also isolate ourselves with harsh beliefs about others and ourselves.

The high price of disconnection and the profound pain it causes are brought to life in this novel of boyhood friends in the South. People decide who you are & it's a box you don't have a choice about leaving behind if you are poor & live in a small community. I believe this happens in small ordinary ways on a daily basis.

Therapy is often an invitation to return to locating new possibilities within, even when the world has given up on you.

The book is about Larry who is at the center of only extremely lopsided relationships; and he naively allows himself to be used by others for their own purposes. No one values his essential goodness. This same pattern is experienced by so many in the struggle of dating because it is very difficult to sort out who are the good guys & where are they????

The power of race is another layer of this crime novel. It shuttles back in time to the forbidden friendship in childhood of Larry who is white and Silas who is African-American and then returns to the present when they haven't seen each other in two decades.

The reader grows to care deeply about their relationship which is touched by the magic of transformation. A novel that includes depth of character, lyrical prose & transformation what more could anyone want??

The writing is rich in details which begins with the title, crooked letter is the S in Mississippi which southern children are taught in how to spell their state name. The old saying that the first sentence should grip the reader & not let go also applies to the author Tom Franklin.

Betrayal of self, betrayal with intention and the distinctly different betrayal through neglect are both delineated with great care & attention.

I was moved because one character makes amends to the other without any words, in the more meaningful way of taking actions. This book has the infrastructure that helps the reader feel the pain in both the journeys of Larry & Silas. The conclusion felt so authentic that it left me wanting to hang out in the kitchen eavesdropping on their next conversation.

We have all experienced someone deciding they know us without any evidence, of being betrayed by those we thought were our friends, of feeling deep loneliness and we've all betrayed ourselves. These are universal themes that are explored in this amazing book.

This is a well-written, highly evocative story of the South and its people. I really cared about the characters and what happened to them; this is something that many authors never achieve. The mystery was interesting but not as crucial to the storyline as the unfolding of each character's personality and motivation; I could see the culprit long before he was actually revealed.

Overall, well worth taking the time to read.

I just finished this book and cannot find enough words to praise it! Dialog is brilliant...each major and minor character has a distinctive "voice" - to me, the true measure of a great book. The characterizations are believable and compassionate...the story line is compelling. I hope Franklin will consider another book with the memorable "32"! He is a complex and interesting man whose growth as a person propels this narrative.

What a wonderful story. I loved every minute of the author drawing out Larry and Silas. I'm in the desert in NV but when I picked up this novel I felt I was in the deep south watching this story unfold. I just loved Larry and wanted to hug him. What a sad story but loved the way Tom Franklin brought it all together at the end. Lots of twists I didn't see coming and another reviewer said it best that this book reads like you're watching a movie. The very best kind of movie with deep secrets and flawed people who only want to be accepted. Great, great story. I highly recommend to anyone who loves a mystery with more character substance.

When I started this book, I was expecting a standard murder mystery. If that's what you're looking for, this is not hte book for you. The mystery is actually not so mysterious, and the answer becomes obvious well before the end. However, the book is truly an examination of how we treat the misfit in society, and what adults should do when they realize the faults in their adolescent selves. A sad, beautiful, haunting novel.

If Franklin wants to write the screen play for this exceptionally well-crafted novel I hope he gets the chance because he writes dialogue very well and the characters have depth and individuality that makes this story a joy to read even in its darker moments. I am not usually a fan of murder mysteries nor do I like "white trash" stories as a rule but this is a novel to pass on to my best friends.

I loved many things about this book. The author's descriptions are rich and vivid, the depth of his main characters leveled, and the plot twists unexpected. I don't find many stories that catch me off guard, and this one did. I was immersed in the chapters and had a hard time pulling myself out.

I also loved the authenticity of the Southern details and dialect. Well done!

This is my first Tom Franklin novel and I thought it was very good once I got into it. The story itself was very good and how it all unfolds was done well. This is very realistic fiction and I can imagine that there are many stories down south from that time period of a similar nature. Writing it well and tying it into the present is the hard part. I may be trying another Franklin novel soon.

This is an intriguing story. How do you forgive a stolen life? How do you continue to live when the world has labeled you evil and turned its back on you? On the other hand, how do you admit to something you've hidden for 20+ years, something that robbed another man of his life?

Larry's father was a cold man who didn't know how to show love. Larry was a loner, with no skills or abilities to make him popular at school. Not an athlete, he was a lonely boy, easily manipulated by those around him. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, ostracized by his peers, he managed to survive, a lonely man bound by duty to his home and parents.

Silas grew up with a single mother, never knowing who his father was. He accepted white-boy Larry's friendship when no one else was around, but resented Larry's wealthier lifestyle and would have nothing to do with Larry in public. Silas carried a secret for many years, a secret that could have cleared Larry's name, but a secret he chose not to reveal, perhaps because of youthful self-centeredness, perhaps because of his resentment of Larry.

The characters were well-fleshed-out and distinct. I could hear the soft, Southern accents and speech patterns as I read. As far as grammar, spelling, etc., I only object to the consistent misspelling of "y'all," a contraction of "you" and "all." Every good Southerner - every literate person - knows that contractions need apostrophes.

Because the story was gripping, it was easy to ignore the few details that really were not realistic, that could not be true in real life. I do wish the author had left out the specific sexual references. They did not contribute anything to the story, and they keep me from recommending the book to certain people I know would enjoy the overall story but would be offended by those particular portions of the book.

That said, if the author writes a sequel, I will buy it. I care about these characters and want to know what happens to them in the future.

This book unfolds carefully, layer by layer. Though it skips time frames back and forth, you don't get lost. Nearing the half way point I couldn't put it down. The story combines murder, mystery, and most importantly human flaws and the question with no answer: why do people become the people they become? This is the first book I've read by this author but I'm ready for another one.

Excellent author...great storytelling. This is one of those books that comes along and sweeps you right into the story. The characters, the town and the countryside were all brought to life with such depth of feeling that I was really sorry to have the story come to an end. I look forward to reading more books written by Tom Franklin.

I was thoroughly engaged by this story. I read the tiny handful of 1-star reviews, and those people complained the book was not well written. I disagree, Crooked Letter was exceptionally well written. It is a good story with a fair degree of mystery (don't expect to be shocked though), and kept me reading right to the end.

I am a transplant to Mississippi from California four years ago. This book was a good mystery, but a great book about Mississippi and its people and attitudes. Though the setting was in the 70's, much of what was written here could have been set in many small towns in Mississippi today. What really caught my attention is Mr. Franklin's ability to draw pictures of the State in my mind. He did it beautifully. Buy the book and take a trip in your mind to the beautiful South I have come to know and love.

I enjoyed this book immensely. With a brooding presence hovering in the background like humidity, the book is full of poetry and beautiful imagery. I have a world conjured in my head of America's deep south, as a result of reading Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. The characters were well developed and believable. The story full of twists and turns. One of those books that you don't want to end.
In summary I enjoyed the author's use of language and I rate the book as one of the better tales I've read in recent history.

Crooked Letter was my first introduction to Tom Franklin but it definitely will not be my last. Franklin paints wonderful pictures with his writing. I could almost smell the swamp, swat the mosquitoes and feel the racial pressures throughout. This beautifully written book held my attention to the the very last page.

I found this novel to be very enjoyable reading and made me look for other books by this author and have bought "Hell at the Breech". I think it has more basic interest if you have ever been to Mississippi, a state still living in the 1950's and although technically blacks have equality there, if you venture into the small towns nothing much has changed. The book is basically about the short-term friendship between two boys, one black, one white who end up being apart for thirty years and then brought together by a missing girl in a small Mississippi town. It explores racism in the deep South without having to use the "N" word over and over and cramming injustice down your throat. It's also about the sad travesty of assuming someone did something and the ensuing prejudice that has nothing to do with color. The author does a good job of building interest and the final discovery is mild rather than shattering, but provides closure and even hope for the future for the characters. I found it similar to "Girl Gone" in it's writing style and plot.

I was very pleasantly surprised with this book which had been on my to be read list for a long time. It was very well written and an enjoyable read about two boyhood friends and a crime in a small Southern town. It had many twists and turns which kept me guessing and pulled at my heartstrings from time to time as well. Would highly recommend.

Crooked Letter was my first introduction to Tom Franklin but it definitely will not be my last. Franklin paints wonderful pictures with his writing. I could almost smell the swamp, swat the mosquitoes and feel the racial pressures throughout. This beautifully written book held my attention to the the very last page.

I found this novel to be very enjoyable reading and made me look for other books by this author and have bought "Hell at the Breech". I think it has more basic interest if you have ever been to Mississippi, a state still living in the 1950's and although technically blacks have equality there, if you venture into the small towns nothing much has changed. The book is basically about the short-term friendship between two boys, one black, one white who end up being apart for thirty years and then brought together by a missing girl in a small Mississippi town. It explores racism in the deep South without having to use the "N" word over and over and cramming injustice down your throat. It's also about the sad travesty of assuming someone did something and the ensuing prejudice that has nothing to do with color. The author does a good job of building interest and the final discovery is mild rather than shattering, but provides closure and even hope for the future for the characters. I found it similar to "Girl Gone" in it's writing style and plot.

I was very pleasantly surprised with this book which had been on my to be read list for a long time. It was very well written and an enjoyable read about two boyhood friends and a crime in a small Southern town. It had many twists and turns which kept me guessing and pulled at my heartstrings from time to time as well. Would highly recommend.

One of the most compelling and original stories I've ever read. Franklin has envelopped himself in deep south culture like it was some kind of second skin. His characters cry out in their originality and become part of a unique tale. One of those truly "sorry to see it end" kind of books. In my mind a great American writer.

Is the same thing happening today? And what is the effect on everyone if it does? This is a very human book about the toll that prejudice, arrogance and ignorance takes on everyone involved. The principals...the by standers, the average citizen who never heard of any of the characters. I read it right through.

Very intense, captivating mystery and the best book I've read in months. Franklin is a superb writer. His plotting is well-paced, and his character development and setting are among the best I've read. I immediately ordered Tilted World, a book co-authored by his wife, Beth Ann Fennelly.

The premise of the book was promising...unfortunately the storyline was predictable.

So very predictable...there were no unexpected twists...unexpected truths revealed...nothing I didn't foresee coming.

Can't say I would recommend it all.

The book presented a person who seemed to be guilty of murder. It was difficult to see any other guilty party. The way the story unraveled was fascinating. My only complaint was that the people whom I wanted to see punished were not alive at the end of the story and therefore it was a little disappointing.

There are two main reasons why I thoroughly enjoyed this book: believable characters and a good plot. The two main characters, Larry and Silas, could very well be people from my past, and perhaps yours as well. The author did a great job of creating and developing them. Then the story line holds your interest throughout the novel, and includes a surprise or two.

This is one of my most enjoyable reads of 2012. Worth every penny I paid and every minute I invested.

My book club had read Mud Bound (a quite depressing book) with a similar type plot so I was skeptical when they chose this book to read. It is well written and much more uplifting than Mud Bound. I enjoyed the murder mystery plot and the interaction with the characters, how they evolved the book. I would recommend this book.