Praying for Sheetrock: A Work of Nonfiction

Greene tells the true story of a corrupt sheriff and an awakening African American community in McIntosh County, Georgia. What is so surprising is that the incidents occurred not in the 50s or during the traditional civil rights era but later, from the mid- to late-seventies and well into the eighties. The sheriff had such a hold on the community that the blacks who lived there, a majority of the population, accepted things as they were until one man stood up to it. The story is complicated and hard to relate in just a few sentences. One of the things I really enjoyed about the book was the attention to detail and description. Greene has done an excellent job of catching the essence of so many small communities in rural Georgia. Most of show more them are not corrupt, and that is not what I mean - it's the descriptions of the towns, the land, and the people. show less

This is one of the finest works of narrative nonfiction I've ever read. Anyone considering journalism or nonfiction writing as a career should read it. Melissa Fay Greene tells the story of McIntosh County, Ga., a place she obviously knows well, with the perspective of an outsider but the affection of a local. It's a tough story, about civil rights coming to this Southern community at long last and the flawed but brave people who led the fight.

Utterly fascinating look into the world of the civil rights movement in rural Georgia. I learned so much about this history you don't learn in school and how long and deep the roots are (good and bad) in this region.

I've kept this book only because it is about my hometown. The author seems to have been one of those persons who are sure they are right and incapable of appreciating or actually understanding anybody of a different background or viewpoint. I paricularly resent her supercilious treatment of a lady (not related to me).

Interesting read to learn about the history of rural Georgia. Needed a much more serious edit in the last half. Is this a New Classic? No.

This book was an insightful look into one Georgia county's struggle for justice and civil rights. Read more of my comments on this book at my book blog: http://www.alifeinbooks.com/?p=121