This memoir was unbelievable. It sounds like fiction that an African American detective would become a full-fledged member of the Ku Klux Klan. His insertion into the Klan ranks was born from a half-hearted response to a newspaper ad from the local Klan chapter, an attempt to solicit intel on Klan materials for the Colorado Springs Police Department. To his surprise however, his "interest" was taken seriously. For the sake of an ensuing investigation into the inner-workings of Klan activity, Ron assumed a character over several years of phone corresondence with up to Grand Wizard of the KKK at the time, David Duke. Of course, the Klan was unaware the Ron Stallworth they were talking to on the phone was, in fact, a Black man. A fellow White detective pretending to be Ron stood in during in-person meetings, which allowed them to gather intelligence of Klan activity and have law enforcement prepared for any potential terroristic activity. Stallworth is highly knowledgeable on major players in the terse racial relations of the 1970s, as he ironically experienced the inner workings on both sides, i.e., the Black Panthers and other labor movements that clashed with the Klan's ideology. I listened to an audiobook version where Ron Stallworth narrated it himself and was captivated by his simple, direct style of retelling his experiences, typical of a law-enforcement officer. It's an eye-opener of how far we've come, but also a sad reminder that we still have a great distance to go as a society. Racism and bigotry have far from disappeared!

The Foot Book

Harlem Shuffle, by Colson Whitehead, explored themes of racism, classism and crime in 1960s New York City. It was told through the point of view of Ray Carney, furniture salesman, family man, and occasional fence for stolen goods. Carney’s dad was a crook, but Carney never wanted to follow in his footsteps. However, as the story progresses, he continued to get drawn into the “crooked” world. I’ve never read a book quite like this. It’s a crime novel written like literary fiction. At times the cool play-by-play reminded me of something like the Reacher books by Lee Child, while at other times the metaphors and imagery were like something that you’d read in a classic like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. In the end, I shelved it in my literary fiction area rather than my mystery area because the crime sections aren’t laid out like a mystery. The reader knows who is doing it and how they’re doing it from the get-go. What’s more murky is who the “bad guy” is in each scenario. Carney might be acting as a fence and might be a little bit “crooked”, but the people he’s up against are much more crooked than he is. It’s a world of bribery (run by “envelopes” with money to look the other way or grease the wheels going in a thousand different directions). Carney is also a Black man in 1960s America. The book does a good job of describing both the “little indignities” and outright racism of the time. It also does a good job of describing the circumstances that would drive a mostly straight man like Carney into the crooked world again and again.

Goofy saved the parade from catching on fire.

This was my third Dandy Smith novel that I've read, and I am really enjoying this author. She provides lots of good plot twists and a gripping story line that keeps you turning the page for more!

While overall an entertaining read, I think it read more like a screenplay than a novel. Reading the notes at the end of the book made this notion clearer as the inspiration was in fact a couple of Sherlock Holmes movies set in the 1940s. I think this can work out to an advantage in some cases, but in this book, it resulted in an overemphasis on the setting and atmosphere at the expense of getting to understand any of the characters in depth. Perhaps the author is hoping to piggyback on the plethora of development that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and no shortage of screenwriters have attempted to forge, but in my opinion this book falls flat on its own basis.

I came across this book on the shelf as part of one the librarian's displays for Black history month. There is a television show by the same name, which I hadn't realized was based on this novel. This was a captivating and emotional story. Whitehead masterfully depicts the underground railroad as a literal locomotive rumbling beneath the southern states with the purpose of capitalizing on the premise that "all men are created equal." Although it's a noble intention, it's a criminal enterprise in light of the Fugitive Slave Act. Those who ride it's rails endure peril after peril. The central character is Cora, a passenger on the train whom we ride along with as she seeks her freedom. We also hear the stories of Cora's mother, another escapee, and grandmother, who was stolen from Africa. I would definitely recommend this one. Whitehead wrote in such a way where even though it's a creative historical take, he preserves the plight and struggle of African Americans. It's an important perspective, because it's ignorant to pretend that over a century of injustice, bondage, and disenfranchisement wouldn't leave it's footprint on the African American community to this day.

I like how there is a puppy and a pony in it!

It was about Mr. Snail running late to deliver all of the mail. It was good.

How porcupine was pokien all his friends.