by Percival Everett
I wasn’t at all sure I would be able to get into The Trees, as I don’t read a lot of satire. But after two readers I trust wrote glowing reviews on Instagram, I knew I would attempt to read this novel, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize in 2022. And I am glad I did. Set initially in Money, Mississippi, the site of the horrific lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955, the book opens with the discovery of a gruesome murder scene with two bodies, one Black and one white. However, the Black body disappears from the morgue, and the state sends two Black investigators to oversee the hapless investigation by the Money police force.
Likes: I was skeptical about the humor, but I found myself laughing out loud at many points. The book skewers everyone from the local police and the FBI to the relatives of the first several victims found murdered. The names of the characters verge on the ridiculous but somehow work, as does the strange mashup of genres. It’s a satire but also contains elements of horror, thriller, and murder mystery. What is the link to Emmett Till? Is there a serial killer? Is the same Black victim being found at multiple scenes? How are bodies disappearing? Is there a supernatural component? The book keeps the twists coming, propelling me to listen until the end. And I do recommend the audio: I think cues from the excellent narration helped me pick up on more of the humor than I might have otherwise.
Dislikes: There were a few minor characters and secondary plot lines that ended up a bit less resolved than I would have liked. But this is a tiny quibble with a book that manages to make a major statement about lynching and the dark parts of American history.
FYI: extensive use of offensive, derogatory racial terms, profanity, violence, murder, detailed descriptions of crime scenes. Racially motivated violence and racial prejudice. Death of a family member.
Liz Helfrich 