Devil in the Grove

Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America

By: Gilbert King

Narrated by: Peter Francis James

Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

“A must-read, cannot-put-down history.” (Thomas Friedman, New York Times)

Arguably the most important American lawyer of the 20th century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the US Supreme Court when he became embroiled in a case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and to cost him his life.

In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor with the help of Sheriff Willis V. McCall, who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve. When a White 17-year-old girl cried rape, McCall pursued four young Black men who dared envision a future for themselves beyond the groves. The Ku Klux Klan joined the hunt, hell-bent on lynching the men who came to be known as "the Groveland Boys".

Associates thought it was suicidal for Marshall to wade into the "Florida Terror", but the young lawyer would not shrink from the fight despite continuous death threats against him.

Drawing on a wealth of never-before-published material, including the FBI's unredacted Groveland case files, as well as unprecedented access to the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund files, Gilbert King shines new light on this remarkable civil rights crusader.

©2012 Gilbert King (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

Highly Recommended!

Excellent, impressive knowledge of history and lack of justce. Recommended for all. our book club chose it

Outstanding!

An incredibly detailed and compelling account of one of many miscarriages of justice and the brave men and women who fought against it. I have even more respect for Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP than I did before if that's possible. Bravo Mr King! I must also add the narration was superbly done.

A must listen!

Well written account of just some of the injustices done to Black citizens of Lake County, Florida. The narrator did a great job. The story is just heartbreaking, but so necessary to hear. It's so important to understand the history, and how it reflects on the events of today.

Deeply impactful

I enjoyed this book although there were quite a few very difficult moments to digest. There were so many important historical details I didn't know about this case and the people involved. I highly recommend this book.

Your heart will weep

This story is not for the faint of heart. Although inspiring in some aspects of perseverance, the absolute depravity of man in other leaves you crushed. There is a deep, shameful past in parts of the US’s history; Devil in the Grove highlights what has been overcome and instills a deeper understanding and compassion for those who have endured unjust treatment simply because of their color.

Excellent book!

Read this book! Gilbert King is a masterful storyteller and I really enjoyed listening to this book. He has so much attention to detail that I felt like I visited Lake County myself!

What makes this historical narrative different than others is that you get a real feeling of what everyone was going through at the time - Thurgood Marshall's big picture concerns about the larger movement for racial justice and the direction of the NAACP, and his laser focus on the nuances of the jury in the trial, the competing political interests of Sheriff McCall as a public official, illegal gambling boss, and Klansman, amongst a host of other details. I was also impressed by the fact that King is not a lawyer, but had such a clear grasp on the complicated legal issues and procedures at multiple levels. Also, narrator was great! I loved his vivid accents and intonations. It makes you feel like you're in the room when Thurgood Marshall is speaking! Great book all around!

Incredible!

This book was brilliantly narrated by Peter Francis James. A fantastic depiction of the true nature of the Jim Crow "South of the South" depicting the truths, and Horrors, that black people we're subject to and endured in the mid 20th century. A deeply detailed, historical book that effortlessly puts the reader in the moment, from line to line. A strong recommend for anyone, and everyone!

Informative, interesting and well written book.

This book was an eye opener for me . I didn’t know half of the things mentioned in this book about Thurgood Marshall . What a BRAVE and brilliant man.

EyeOpening

This book is very eye-opening to the racial injustices of the past and the fight for equality.
More people need to read/listen to books like this to get a true understanding of the horrors black Americans have endured and why distrust in our judicial system and the fear for their lives are real grievances.
This book honors those who have fought for equal rights and encourages others to speak up to help continue the quest to ensure racial equality within our governments branches.

American Horror Story & Profiles in Courage

There are no words. Sad, horrible, despicable come to mind over and over. And then courage, honor, strength. I think this should be on a required reading list for US (white) citizens.