Lovecraft Country
By Matt Huff
Set in 1950s, Jim Crow America, this genre bending -- or maybe blending is the right term -- follows the
travails of the Turner family as they seek to fend off a heretofore unknown secret society of white sorcerers known as the Order of the Dawn. One member of the Turners, Atticus, is the last known direct-descendant of one of the founders of the order, and this status makes him (or, rather, his blood) a sought-after tool for wizards hoping to advance their skills and standing. Chief among them is Caleb Braithwhite.
The novel is told in a series of connected but nearly stand-alone stories that borrow from science fiction, pulp, and horror. It starts when Atticus, his father Montrose, uncle George (who happens to publish a travel guide modeled on the Green Book), and cousin Letitia are lured to a New England village at the heart of the order's power. Other adventures ensue: Letitia buys a house haunted by a one-time rival of Caleb's father; Atticus' aunt, Hippolyta, enters a machine that takes her to another planet; his nephew, Horace, is "marked" so that he animates statues around him, giving them murderous intentions; another aunt is given an elixir that, for a few hours at a time, turns her skin white.
In the end, the Turners manage to remove Caleb from their life -- for the moment. The central theme of the book is revealed as Caleb Braithwhite stands on the side of the road, his powers stripped, begging the Turners to reconsider his punishment. He warns them that other members of the order are aware of Atticus, "And they'll be coming for you...they won't leave you alone until they get what they want from you. No matter where you go, you'll never be safe..." The Turners just laugh. Atticus responds: "What is it you're trying to scare me with? You think I don't know what country I live in? I know. We all do." In other words, whiteness itself is a kind of secret society, and the "horrors" Braithwhite brought into the Turners lives is no match for the real-world horror of Jim Crow.
Loved this book. It was just suspenseful enough to keep the pages turning but humorous/pulpy enough to keep it at bay. I read it in less than a week -- no small feat with school in session. It is now the basis for an HBO series, and I wonder how the tone of the live-action version matches the book.
