My rating: 4 of 5 stars
King wrote "The Groveland Boys" several years ago, which deservedly received much praise and some awards. In this book, he returns to Lake County, Florida a few years after the events chronicled in his earlier book. As such, many of the same individuals are involved, most notably Sheriff Willis McCall.
In "Beneath a Ruthless Sun," a prominent white women is raped. While she initially describes her rapist as a black man, the authorities - primarily McCall and the prosecuting attorney - eventually arrest and charge a 19 year old white kid with an intellectual disability. They eventually get that kid, Jesse Daniels, sent to the State mental hospital after a declaration that he was incompetent to stand trial. There, Daniels spends a decent portion of his life without ever going to trial.
As the story unravels primarily through the work of one reporter and Jesse's mother, the book reads more like a fast-paced, mystery thriller than a true life story. But its all true; there are points in the book that will make the reader angry and aghast, at the cruelty those is in power can impose; and how racism can so warp our realities. There are other points, including one towards the end of the book in particulaw, that will leave most every reader simply dumbstruck (I literally remember my jaw dropping at certain points).
The book is a great read, and an important read. It reminds us to never be complacent in accepting racism from any source; and to value those that challenge power to be a servant of truth, in order to prevent it from perpetuating injustice.
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