A Calamity of Souls

De: David Baldacci

Narrado por: David Baldacci, MacLeod Andrews, Sisi Aisha Johnson, Kiiri Sandy, Cary Hite

Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. 

Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism—until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. He quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what's at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial.  

Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for all. She enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era.    

Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice.

Over a decade in the making, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci is the immovable object of history slamming into the irresistible force of truth. An examination of a fractured place and time where the mores of the past were confronted by the implacable ferocious tenacity of justice. A Tour de Force."—S. A. Cosby, bestselling author of ALL THE SINNERS BLEED and RAZORBLADE TEARS

“A Calamity of Souls, the story of a murder in southern Virginia in the mid-1960’s, may be the best novel David Baldacci has ever written, which is saying a great deal. It has a gripping plot and a shocking ending, and even better than that, is also a perfect evocation of a difficult time in America’s history, propelled by deep and moving characters and beautiful writing. It captured me completely from the very first page.”—Scott Turow, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

"This is David Baldacci at his best. Using the law and the courtroom as the stage for a searing parable on race and the cost and courage to do the right thing."—Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Baldacci deftly weaves together legal thriller and historical drama—a tale of high tension, false assumptions and stubborn humanity, where the law is a crucible for who we imagine ourselves to be and how much effort still lies ahead.”—Stacey Abrams, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“A high-octane legal thriller anchored by a family drama that will break your heart.”—Ken Follett, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“From its disturbing opening onwards, I couldn’t stop turning the pages, fascinated, moved, horrified. Packed with a richness of detail and prose so evocative it works like a time-machine, effortlessly transporting you to a troubled time in U.S. history; with characters that linger in the mind long after you have finished the book. An instant classic, I will be recommending this to everyone I know. Not just a great American crime story; this is a great American novel.”—Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“David Baldacci vividly recreates Virginia in the throes of the civil rights movement, when the laws had moved forward, but the people had not. A Calamity of Souls is a big-hearted page-turner about fighting for what’s right in a world filled with wrong.”—Jeannette Walls, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“This is the book David Baldacci was meant to write. Of course it’s filled with rich characters and a mystery at its core, but what makes this novel such a standout is the way Baldacci pours his own past into it. Terrifying, dazzling, and a true reckoning, A Calamity of Souls is a time machine that proves the Civil War never ended—and that the only way out is together.”—Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Another Baldacci Masterpiece!

A Calamity of Souls is another excellent book from David Baldacci. I was captivated from the first page. The story drew me in and made it hard for me to put it down. Helped me to better understand the unrest in our country in the 1960’s. I felt like I was in the middle of the story. Thank you for another great read. Well done!

Difficult but Excellent

This book touches on so many difficult subjects, race, people with disabilities and the rights of women. Difficult to hear how cruel our world could be at times, but on the other side, how many good people there are. Excellent story and narrator.

if listen to book driving your going to wish for a traffic jam

Great lawyer book. About a hard subject. Story telling feel like you're there. An thank God your not.

Story line

Two sleepless nights listening to this wonderful book. David is one of the authors I’ve had the pleasure of finding.

mystery to the end, cliffhanger suspense.

really liked the development of the characters. by the time the story was in high gear, felt like I knew the cast of characters pretty well. The story had incredible intensity as well as believability and was a mystery to the end for sure... I agree with one of the reviews that claims this may be author's best novel.

nothing has changed in 2024

excellent story and the story still exists today in our messed up Country and Workd

It took me back to the 60’s and 70’s

As a teenager I took a bus trip to Florida for a Luther League Convention. It was my first exposure to the south under Jim Crow. I could not put this book down. I was reconnected with all the troubles of those times. Those troubles are both historical and contemporary. We have made progress in equality but there is more that needs to be done. Thanks for the reminder.

good

loved the story line and hearing about a different time to live in the USA. The people who read the book keep it very interesting.

I grew up in a story like this from 1940’s forward

I liked it all! I never knew what was around the next corner! It kept me guessing.

Actuality of the era.

Disliked - but well understood - the ending, or should I say the beginning.. ..