A Calamity of Souls

Set in 1968 in southern Virginia, this courtroom drama follows a racially charged murder case in which a white lawyer and a Black lawyer defend a Black man wrongfully accused of killing an elderly wealthy white couple. Jack Lee, a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, has never challenged racism until he agrees to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutal murder. Lee doubts his legal abilities to succeed in a case where the odds are stacked against both him and his client, and he discovers the stakes extend far beyond the trial itself. Desiree DuBose, a Black lawyer from Chicago, has dedicated her career to advancing justice and equality. She forms an uneasy partnership with Lee to fight against the Commonwealth's most skilled prosecutor. However, DuBose recognizes that powerful forces work to undermine Civil Rights era victories. Despite their stark differences, Lee and DuBose must work together to challenge the prosecution's path toward a guilty verdict and execution. Their fight is for something that once seemed impossible: a fair trial and true justice. The novel, developed over more than a decade, depicts a detailed portrait of this historical period.