Stranger Than Fiction with Christopher at Plucked from the Stacks: This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that *almost* don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic.
There is one book that came immediately to mind when I saw this topic.
Devil in the Grove is my go-to recommendation for nonfiction. It is the only audiobook that almost made me wreck my car.
In 1940s Lake County Florida, a white woman claimed she was raped. Four Black men were arrested even though none of them were anywhere near the location of the crime. What happened next is even more disturbing and unbelievable.
Gilbert King’s follow up to Devil in the Grove is about the same corrupt police department in the 1950s. This time a white woman was raped by a Black man. But, the victim’s husband didn’t want people to know that she was touched by a Black man. So they arrested a mentally challenged white man.
You know it is bad when a real police department can have a series of books written about willfully arresting the wrong people. My husband lived there for a while as a teen. He said it is still really bad. He says he knows people doing time for things they didn’t do.
While I’m familiar with the story, I haven’t read either of these. Definitely think I need to change that! Any book that makes you almost crash a car … well, that’s one heck of a recommendation.
These books would even qualify for my annual October spooky reading – how terrifying! I am adding them both.
Oh these both sound horrible! And like I need to add them to my list immediately 😉
That is the only proper response to these books!
It’s unbelievable that such things can happen. Thanks for sharing
Both of these sound disturbing and interesting. Adding them to my TBR list!
I still remember how disturbing Beneath a Restless Sun was and I read it several years ago. I haven’t read Devil in the Grove yet but as you said, it’s not good news that this police department could have enough bad behavior to lead to a series of books about it.
I have the feeling that many people in jail and prison are falsely convicted. I had one experience being on a jury during a long trial, and I was not impressed with the other jurors.