"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" is a compelling novel that explores themes of friendship, prejudice, and redemption in rural Mississippi.
The story centers on two main characters: Larry Ott, a white mechanic who lives as a social outcast after being suspected of murder in his youth, and Silas "32" Jones, a black constable who shares a complex past with Larry. Their childhood friendship and eventual estrangement form the emotional core of the narrative. When another young girl goes missing, the town's suspicions again fall on Larry, forcing both men to confront their shared history and buried secrets.
The novel weaves between past and present, revealing how Larry and Silas's lives intersected in the 1970s and diverged after the disappearance of Cindy Walker, Larry's first and only date. Through flashbacks, we learn about Larry's difficult childhood as a socially awkward boy who found solace in horror novels, and Silas's experiences as a poor black child living with his mother in a hunting cabin on the Ott family's land. The story builds to a powerful climax as the truth about Cindy Walker's disappearance emerges, along with revelations about family secrets that connect the two men in unexpected ways. The novel masterfully explores themes of racial tension, isolation, and the possibility of redemption through its rich character development and atmospheric portrayal of small-town Mississippi life. The title itself comes from a childhood spelling mnemonic ("M-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-P-P-I") that serves as a metaphor for the twisted paths the characters must navigate to find truth and reconciliation.
