Extraordinary...not only an intimate history of the tragedy, but also a deep meditation on Mississippi and America ... Thompson credits the work of the historians, journalists and filmmakers who have sought to tell the true tale. But he crafts a wider, deeper narrative. The Barn is serious history and skillful journalism, but with the nuance and wallop of a finely wrought novel.
Terrifying and humbling, The Barn is a chilling examination of the American strain of a nasty human disorder: the slow immolation that some communities initiate when they choose enabling mythologies, deceit, silence, injustice, and willed ignorance as their moral orders.
He pauses to consider his personal history and the collective effort required to cover up details of Till’s story in this country’s stubborn refusal to confront its racist origins ... Powerful and unflinching ... Thompson does a deep dive into every facet of the story, introducing characters at such a rapid pace that it’s often hard to remember who’s who.
Part investigative journalism, part catharsis. Thompson travels back and forth through space and time, describing a brutal murder on one page, riffing about the blues on another. The story meanders like the myriad tributaries of the Mississippi. The writing is often breathtaking, brutality amplified through perfectly crafted prose.
Carefully weighing each word as though it’s being set on the scales of justice, Thompson presents a deeply felt and vitally written history of conscience with infinite consequence.
