Ghosts of Mississippi: The Murder of Medgar Evers, the Trials of Byron De La Beckwith, and the Haunting of the New South

This is the story of Mississippi civil rights activist Medgar Evers, his murder, and the long fight to bring his murderer to justice. It's also a tale about the abysmal, institutionalized racism which existed in 1950's-1960's Mississippi and the kind of courage it took for anyone to in any way advocate for change. (During those years, there was no Klu Klux Klan in that state, of any amount, prior to the passage of the national Civil Rights Act because the state and local governments had more or less taken on the functions of the KKK for so many years.)

Author Maryanne Vollers weaves a compelling, suspenseful narrative of the events in Jackson, Mississipi in those difficult years leading up to and following Evers' assasination. She also show more introduces us to some amazing people. Despite the fact that I knew from history, more or less, the outcomes of the three trials, I had not known the details "how" the investigation and prosecution proceded. I was a bit startled how emotional I was as the verdicts were recounted -- especially the final one. show less

Fabulous book. For those into history, this is a great read. I remember the event of Evers's murder quite well. For some reason, as a 17-year old kid, I recognized the event as history and even kept the Life magazine from that week that had Mylie Evers and her older son on the cover.

The book is well written. Characters appear to be well-developed. Before the assassination, the reader is able to "get to know" Evers and de la Beckwith. Leading up to the murder, the book picks up the pace and the rest of the book is a pretty fast read even though Vollers provides extensive detail about the players who come onto the scene for the next 30 years leading up to the final trial.

229, This book was not my favorite bt i liked it.