''Forsaken'' is a 2016 historical fiction novel that was written by Ross Howell Jr. It was first published in hardback on February 1, 2016, through
NewSouth Books
NewSouth Books is an independent publishing house founded in 2000 in Montgomery, Alabama, by editor H. Randall Williams and publisher Suzanne La Rosa. Williams was the founder of Black Belt Press, working there from 1986 to 1999, and La Rosa wo ...
and is based on the true story of
Virginia Christian
Virginia Christian (August 15, 1895 – August 16, 1912) was an African American teenager Capital punishment, executed by the state of Virginia. Convicted of first degree murder for killing her white employer Ida Belote, Christian became the onl ...
, a black teenage maid who was the first woman executed in the 20th century in the state of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
.
Synopsis
The book is narrated by Charles Mears, an eighteen-year-old reporter covering the trial of Virginia Christian, who is accused of murdering her employer Ida Belote, for whom Christian worked as a maid. Belote was terribly cruel and abusive towards Christian, which culminated in a physical altercation between the two that resulted in Christian striking her boss. She stuffed cloth in her boss's mouth to muffle her screams and avoid detection, as physically harming her boss would result in severe repercussions for Christian, only for this to end up killing Belote. Mears believes that Christian deserves clemency and tries to argue for this from
William Hodges Mann
William Hodges Mann (July 30, 1843 – December 12, 1927) was an American lawyer, Confederate soldier and Democratic politician who became the first judge of Nottoway County, Virginia and the last Confederate veteran to serve as the Governor ...
, who is currently serving as Virginia's governor. He's unsuccessful and Christian is executed, but Mears' defense of the teen has provoked the ire of white supremacists that continually issue threats against the reporter. During all of this Mears also tries to protect Belote's two young daughters, one of whom is being sexually abused by her appointed guardian.
Reception
The ''
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (''RTD'' or ''TD'' for short) is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, and the primary newspaper of record for the state of Virginia.
Circulation
The ''Times-Dispatch'' has the second-highest circul ...
'' praised Howell Jr.'s research for the novel, which they felt "paid handsomely in this strikingly affecting novel." The ''Montgomery Advisor'' commented that the book's "fully imagined scenes, characters and themes resonate surprisingly in the supposedly more enlightened world of 2016" and that the "novel's ending may be a bit pat, but readers won't begrudge Howell the hopeful finale." ''
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...
'' also reviewed the work, which they found "harrowing".
References
External links
* {{official website, http://www.rosshowelljr.com/novel/
Forsaken: The Digital Bibliographyat
Virginia Memory
2016 American novels
Historical novels set in the United States
American historical novels
Novels set in Virginia