A compelling and important legal thriller centred on the 1960s American Civil Rights movement, A Calamity of Souls pairs a white and a Black lawyer in a racially charged case whose repercussions are felt well beyond the courtroom.
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a murder case sets a duo of Black and white lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from the number one bestselling author of the Travis Devine series.
Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism, until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with killing a wealthy, elderly white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. And he quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what is at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.
Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for everyone. She comes to Freeman County and enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in town. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights movement.
Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.
A Calamity of Souls is the gripping historical courtroom drama from international no. 1 bestselling author David Baldacci.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781035035601
Number of pages: 656
Weight: 440 g
Dimensions: 198 x 131 x 40 mm
This is David Baldacci at his best. Using the law and the courtroom as the stage for a searing parable on race and the cost and courage to do the right thing - Michael Connelly, author of the Ballard and Bosch series
A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci is the immovable object of history slamming into the irresistible force of truth. An examination of a fractured place and time where the mores of the past were confronted by the implacable ferocious tenacity of justice. A Tour de Force - S.A. Cosby, author of Razorblade Tears
From its disturbing opening onwards, I couldn’t stop turning the pages ... it works like a time-machine, effortlessly transporting you to a troubled time in U.S. history; with characters that linger in the mind long after you have finished the book. An instant classic, I will be recommending this to everyone I know. Not just a great American crime story; this is a great American novel - Alex Michaelides, author of The Fury
Baldacci on top form - a tragic, gripping and intensely believable thriller - Peter James, author of the Roy Grace series
May be the best novel David Baldacci has ever written, which is saying a great deal. It has a gripping plot and a shocking ending, and even better than that, is also a perfect evocation of a difficult time in America’s history, propelled by deep and moving characters and beautiful writing. It captured me completely from the very first page - Scott Turow, author of Suspect
A high-octane legal thriller anchored by a family drama that will break your heart - Ken Follett, author of The Pillars of the Earth
Baldacci deftly weaves together legal thriller and historical drama— a tale of high tension, false assumptions and stubborn humanity, where the law is a crucible for who we imagine ourselves to be and how much effort still lies ahead - Stacey Abrams, author of Rogue Justice and While Justice Sleeps
David Baldacci vividly recreates Virginia in the throes of the civil rights movement, when the laws had moved forward, but the people had not. This is a big-hearted page-turner about fighting for what’s right in a world filled with wrong - Jeanette Walls, author of The Glass Castle
What makes this novel such a standout is the way Baldacci pours his own past into it. Terrifying, dazzling, and a true reckoning, A Calamity of Souls is a time machine that proves the Civil War never ended— and that the only way out is together - Brad Meltzer, author of The Inner Circle
A Calamity of Souls is a modern masterpiece ... it is resplendent, timely and surprising, written in glorious prose that will captivate and enthrall readers. In Baldacci's hands, this story is personal and the reader feels its urgency. This lustrous, atmospheric novel takes us back and moves us forward in one riveting read. An instant classic from America's favorite storyteller - Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone
I read almost all of Davis Baldacci's books but this one was not my favorite. It was difficult not to read between the lines at thinly veiled warnings regarding parallels between Civil Rights struggles and the... More
Just like every other book he writes, this 0one grabs the attention when you open it and doen't let go till you have finished it.
This 512-page book took me just under 7 days to complete. I tend to read most days, but often for only short bursts, making this achievement all the more remarkable. There is no denying that this book is a heavy-duty... More
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