Lovecraft Country
{5/5} “Nature holds itself impervious to the wishings of would-be sorcerers. But… There are cracks. Not exceptions to the rules, you understand — there’s no such thing — but special cases, natural anomalies that can be discovered and exploited by men of sufficient vision.”
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, published in 2016
Atticus returned home to Chicago after receiving a letter from his father. His father was obsessed with finding out who his deceased mother’s ancestors were, and now he says he’s found something in Ardham, Massachuetts. When Atticus arrives is father is already gone. Atticus goes to Ardham with his uncle George and friend Letitia. To get there, they have to go through territory where the white people despise black people — and it’s the 1950s.
It’s about people who just want to be treated fairly. It’s about what happens when you work together, and when normal people unintentionally get involved with people who use magic.
The racist violence is both shocking and not shocking.
I like the concept of The Negro Motorist Green Book, which existed in real life — I don’t like that it needed to exist, but given the circumstances I like that it did exist.
This is the 1st book I’ve read by Ruff.