Book Review: Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands

Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands by Susan Carol McCarthy

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Set in 1951 in the orange groves of Central Florida, this novel, which is based on the author’s own family story, is reminiscent of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.  It is narrated by fourteen-year-old Reesa McMahon, the white daughter of Northern transplant parents.  Reesa is growing up in a house that shows respect and kindness to local African American families, much like Scout’s family in To Kill a Mockingbird.  And her father, in particular, will remind readers of Atticus Finch in his heroic, often to the detriment of his family’s safety, commitment to seeking justice for his African American friends.  The novel’s central focus revolves around the death of nineteen-year-old Marvin Cully at the hands of the Klan.  Reesa’s family not only stands up to the Klan on behalf of their family friend, but also draws the wrath of the Klan down on their own family as they give help to Civil Rights leaders Thurgood Marshall and Harry T. Moore and seek help from the FBI.  The characters are memorable and entertaining.  The writing is poetic and powerful.  This is an excellent historical fiction piece that recalls horrors of racial tension in the South and highlights the story of good people who stood up for the right thing, even when it was perilous to their families.

Lauren Sprouse, Librarian