Crowe, Christopher. 2002. Mississippi trial, 1955. New York: Phyllis Fogelman Books. ISBN: 0-8037-2745-3.
Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe tells the story of a young man, Hiram Hillburn, as he comes-to-age in the Mississippi delta. As a small boy, Hiram was raised by his grandparents. He loved watching his grandfather oversee the fields and workers. He enjoyed watching his father do his errands in town. He accepts the Southern way of life in all aspects. He does not see anything that would make him think otherwise. He didn�t �see� any mistreatment occurring against blacks. When his grandmother dies, Hiram�s way of life comes to an abrupt halt. His parents return to take him away from his grandfather. The family moves to Arizona. As a young boy, he can�t understand why his father and grandfather don�t get along. He doesn�t understand why his father thinks the South is so horribly wrong. As a teenager, Hiram begins to rebel against his father�s strictness. After his grandfather suffers a stroke, Hiram is able to go back to Mississippi to help him. He spends the summer of 1955 with his grandfather. However, he now sees the South through new eyes -- those of an adult. He sees, for the first time, how separated whites and blacks are. He sees the adults -- including his grandfather -- arguing about how horrible desegregation in the schools would be. His grandfather is very political (and racist) but this is the first time Hiram notices. He befriends Emmett Til, a black teenager. Hiram saves him from drowning. The two are not �close� friends by any account, but both feel respect and trust for one another. Emmett sees that Hiram is not like the others. Hiram�s other �friend� is R.C. R.C. is a �horrible� young man. He�s angry, bitter, and disturbed. He tortures everything in his path including Emmett when he �presumes� to talk to Hiram and share his leftover lunch. (Hiram�s lunch that is.) He forces him to the ground and forces raw, bloody, smelly fish guts down his throat. He sits on top of him and laughs. Hiram just stands by ashamed. He wants to help Emmett, but fears the repercussions of R.C. If he speaks up or tries to stop it will R.C. treat him that way too??? Emmett is subsequently kidnapped and found dead in the river. Hiram is kept (by the sheriff) from leaving town in case he needs to testify at the trial. Hiram struggles with how much to tell if he�s put on the stand. Will R.C. beat him up? Will he bring shame to his grandfather? Hiram decides to tell the truth -- all of it -- if asked to testify. He knows that it would be wrong to do otherwise. The trial is presented in the text. But Hiram�s testimony is unneeded. The white men are found innocent, and Hiram is shocked at the injustice. He is shocked even more that his grandfather is pleased with the results. He begins to suspect that his grandfather was involved with the kidnapping of Emmett. He is sickened by his grandfather�s cruel and hateful attitude. He rejoins his family -- especially his father --with a new outlook. He begins to respect his father more, and decides to mend their relationship.
It is a well-written book. Most of the characters are developed well enough that the reader gets a sense of who they are. The characters are human. The grandfather contains good and bad qualities--he is not strictly evil. Hiram himself struggles in his decision making. Nothing is clear-cut in the novel. Even if he knows what the �right� decision would be--he doesn�t make that decision lightly. I thought it was an enjoyable read.