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Brambleman
Down-and-out Atlanta writer Charlie Sherman has no idea what madness awaits him when a mysterious stranger convinces him to finish a dead man’s book about a horrific crime that's gone unpunished for decades. What Charlie inherits is an unwieldy manuscript about the mob-driven expulsion of more than 1,000 blacks from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912. During the course of his work, Charlie uncovers a terrible secret involving a Forsyth County land grab. Due to its proximity to Atlanta, the stolen farm is now worth $20 million—and a sale is pending. When he finds the land’s rightful owner, Charlie becomes convinced he's been chosen by a Higher Power to wreak justice and vengeance on those who profit from evil. And then things go horribly wrong. *** Back cover “I was nine years old when they ran us out of Forsyth County in 1912. My father let me take one thing, a baseball he’d bought for me in the spring. I gripped it tight as we pulled away from our house. My mother was expecting my sister then, so she laid down in the back of the wagon. White men on horseback watched us with their rifles pointed in the air. Pop stared forward with the reins in his hands. ‘This is what they do, son,’ he told me. I heard glass break and turned to see a torch fly in our front window. Pop grabbed my head and twisted it so hard my neck hurt. ‘Boy, don’t look back,’ he said. ‘Don’t give them the pleasure of seeing your pain.’ Most of the day passed before he talked again. He never got over it. That was his land, handed down by his father. The whites stole it, just like they stole it from the Indians. Took our crops, too. And they’ve had their way up there ever since. Today’s not one bit different in Forsyth than the day I left.” *** HISTORICAL Forsyth County, famous as the birthplace of Hee-Haw’s Junior Samples, has for most of the past century, existed as an intentionally all-white community bordering the black Mecca of Atlanta since 1912, following one of the 20th century’s most violent racist outrages—including lynching, nightriding, and arson. In 1987, the sleepy community gained notoriety when a small march led by civil rights firebrand Hosea Williams was broken up by rock- and bottle-throwing Klansmen, neo-Nazis, and their sympathizers. Bloody but unbowed, Williams returned the next week with 25,000 followers in one of largest civil rights marches in history. There was talk of reparations. Oprah came. Protests and counter-protests yielded a landmark Supreme Court case on free speech. But most importantly, white people flocked to Forsyth. It became the fastest- growing county in the nation, the richest one in Georgia, and one of the twenty wealthiest in the U.S.
462 pages, Paperback
First published February 5, 2012
10 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Grant
3 books15 followersBrambleman author Jonathan Grant is an award-winning writer and editor (The Way It Was in the South: The Black Experience in Georgia).
His firstnovel, Chain Gang Elementary (Thornbriar Press), tells the tragicomic story of a war between a reform-minded PTA president and an authoritarian principal. A Thousand Miles to Freedom, his screenplay based on the real-life adventures of escaped slaves William and Ellen Craft, was recently optioned to a Hollywood producer.
Grant grew up on a Midwestern farm and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English. He is a former newspaper journalist and served for several years as a Georgia state government spokesman. He lives in suburban Atlanta with his wife and two children. Actively involved in community affairs, he has been a PTA president at a five-star School of Excellence, an elected member of his local school council, and a soccer coach for twelve seasons.
His firstnovel, Chain Gang Elementary (Thornbriar Press), tells the tragicomic story of a war between a reform-minded PTA president and an authoritarian principal. A Thousand Miles to Freedom, his screenplay based on the real-life adventures of escaped slaves William and Ellen Craft, was recently optioned to a Hollywood producer.
Grant grew up on a Midwestern farm and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English. He is a former newspaper journalist and served for several years as a Georgia state government spokesman. He lives in suburban Atlanta with his wife and two children. Actively involved in community affairs, he has been a PTA president at a five-star School of Excellence, an elected member of his local school council, and a soccer coach for twelve seasons.
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July 30, 2012
Book Info: Genre: Literary Fiction Reading Level: Adult
Disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this novel from the author through the LibraryThing Member Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review. I later received an offer for it through NetGalley, which I accepted.
Synopsis: Down-and-out Atlanta writer Charlie Sherman has no idea what madness awaits him when a mysterious stranger convinces him to finish a dead man's book about a horrific crime that's gone unpunished for decades. What Charlie inherits is an unwieldy manuscript about the mob-driven expulsion of more than 1,000 blacks from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912. During the course of his work, Charlie uncovers a terrible secret involving a Forsyth County land grab. Due to its proximity to Atlanta, the stolen farm is now worth $20 million-and a sale is pending. When he finds the land's rightful owner, Charlie becomes convinced he's been chosen by a Higher Power to wreak justice and vengeance on those who profit from evil. And then things go horribly wrong.
Historical Background: Forsyth County, famous as the birthplace of Hee-Haw's Junior Samples, has existed as an intentionally all-white community bordering the black Mecca of Atlanta since 1912, following one of the 20th century's most violent, racist outrages – including lynching, nightriding, and arson. In 1987, the sleepy community gained notoriety when a small march, led by civil rights firebrand Hosea Williams, was broken up by rock- and bottle-throwing Klansmen, neo-Nazis, and their sympathizers. Bloody but unbowed, Williams returned the next week with 25,000 followers in one of largest civil-rights marches in history. There was talk of reparations. Oprah came. Protests and counter-protests yielded a landmark Supreme Court case on free speech. But most importantly, white people flocked to Forsyth. It became the fastest- growing county in the nation, the richest one in Georgia, and one of the twenty wealthiest in the U.S.
My Thoughts: I was particularly interested in reading this book since all this happened to close to where I live (within about an hour’s drive if the traffic cooperates). While it took place well before I ever arrived on the scene, the attitude of the people around here is very similar, I’m guessing.
I was surprised by the amount of humor put into this book. While it is focused on issues of discrimination and the consequences thereof, as well as the various travails through which Charlie Sherman must pass, it also pokes sly fun at both the conservative and liberal ideals, in a way. Charlie’s thoughts, for instance, about how jumping off a highway overpass is the most “socially irresponsible” way to commit suicide made me laugh. Other comments that amused me included “courthouse arson is a proud Forsyth county tradition,” and one about home ownership being a sure sign of uppitiness in the eyes of the racist members of the community. Then, as a result of all non-whites being driven out of Forsyth County in 1912, it is stated: By 1913, the true nature and scope of Forsyth’s tragedy had become brutally clear. White women, some of them from the finest families, were forced to do their own cooking and cleaning. Bet they never thought about that result! But seriously, the one thing that Grant does not poke fun at is the deadly serious nature of the brutal racism that swept through this area at that time. The descriptions and explanations are sometimes quite brutal, and those with a sensitive nature might want to think strongly about this before they read this book, but enough humor is interspersed into it to keep it bearable.
One thing that confused me is a comment about the trip between Gainseville and Atlanta being 53 miles of mountain roads... there is no mountain between Gainseville and Atlanta, so I’m not sure how there could be mountain roads. Perhaps the author meant country roads. Today, the trip between Gainesville and Atlanta is a fairly straight shot, but I can see where the roads probably were windy before the highway currently there was built. Another thing that made me do some research is the mention of “frantic telephone calls” amongst several people in 1912; I can’t find any evidence to back up my suspicion, but I don’t think telephones were very widespread yet in 1912, so I’m not sure how realistic this situation is.
One of my favorite things about this book is the characters. Grant perfectly caught the complexity of the people of Georgia. Georgia has a really crazy-quilt population – you have the back-country, small-town folks who tend to be very suspicious of outsiders, and old-school racist, having not been taught any differently; and then you have the big city folks, in Atlanta and Athens, especially, that are very liberal. These groups often clash, as can be expected, carrying on such acrimoniously different opinions about how things should be. Always being the sort to get into the middle of things, I think there are good points and bad points to both sides of the argument, and that Truth lies somewhere in the middle. Grant obviously has spent a great deal of time researching the people of this great state, and I feel he did a really good job of bringing it all the life. The characters are all wonderfully developed, unique, and grow (most of them) through the course of the book.
All-in-all, I can highly recommend this excellent story. The book is very long, with multiple points that feel like a denouement, but bear with it – the ending is well worth the trip and literally gave me goosebumps. A very satisfying story, a superbly gratifying read, and one you really don’t want to miss.
Disclosure: I received a free ebook copy of this novel from the author through the LibraryThing Member Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review. I later received an offer for it through NetGalley, which I accepted.
Synopsis: Down-and-out Atlanta writer Charlie Sherman has no idea what madness awaits him when a mysterious stranger convinces him to finish a dead man's book about a horrific crime that's gone unpunished for decades. What Charlie inherits is an unwieldy manuscript about the mob-driven expulsion of more than 1,000 blacks from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912. During the course of his work, Charlie uncovers a terrible secret involving a Forsyth County land grab. Due to its proximity to Atlanta, the stolen farm is now worth $20 million-and a sale is pending. When he finds the land's rightful owner, Charlie becomes convinced he's been chosen by a Higher Power to wreak justice and vengeance on those who profit from evil. And then things go horribly wrong.
Historical Background: Forsyth County, famous as the birthplace of Hee-Haw's Junior Samples, has existed as an intentionally all-white community bordering the black Mecca of Atlanta since 1912, following one of the 20th century's most violent, racist outrages – including lynching, nightriding, and arson. In 1987, the sleepy community gained notoriety when a small march, led by civil rights firebrand Hosea Williams, was broken up by rock- and bottle-throwing Klansmen, neo-Nazis, and their sympathizers. Bloody but unbowed, Williams returned the next week with 25,000 followers in one of largest civil-rights marches in history. There was talk of reparations. Oprah came. Protests and counter-protests yielded a landmark Supreme Court case on free speech. But most importantly, white people flocked to Forsyth. It became the fastest- growing county in the nation, the richest one in Georgia, and one of the twenty wealthiest in the U.S.
My Thoughts: I was particularly interested in reading this book since all this happened to close to where I live (within about an hour’s drive if the traffic cooperates). While it took place well before I ever arrived on the scene, the attitude of the people around here is very similar, I’m guessing.
I was surprised by the amount of humor put into this book. While it is focused on issues of discrimination and the consequences thereof, as well as the various travails through which Charlie Sherman must pass, it also pokes sly fun at both the conservative and liberal ideals, in a way. Charlie’s thoughts, for instance, about how jumping off a highway overpass is the most “socially irresponsible” way to commit suicide made me laugh. Other comments that amused me included “courthouse arson is a proud Forsyth county tradition,” and one about home ownership being a sure sign of uppitiness in the eyes of the racist members of the community. Then, as a result of all non-whites being driven out of Forsyth County in 1912, it is stated: By 1913, the true nature and scope of Forsyth’s tragedy had become brutally clear. White women, some of them from the finest families, were forced to do their own cooking and cleaning. Bet they never thought about that result! But seriously, the one thing that Grant does not poke fun at is the deadly serious nature of the brutal racism that swept through this area at that time. The descriptions and explanations are sometimes quite brutal, and those with a sensitive nature might want to think strongly about this before they read this book, but enough humor is interspersed into it to keep it bearable.
One thing that confused me is a comment about the trip between Gainseville and Atlanta being 53 miles of mountain roads... there is no mountain between Gainseville and Atlanta, so I’m not sure how there could be mountain roads. Perhaps the author meant country roads. Today, the trip between Gainesville and Atlanta is a fairly straight shot, but I can see where the roads probably were windy before the highway currently there was built. Another thing that made me do some research is the mention of “frantic telephone calls” amongst several people in 1912; I can’t find any evidence to back up my suspicion, but I don’t think telephones were very widespread yet in 1912, so I’m not sure how realistic this situation is.
One of my favorite things about this book is the characters. Grant perfectly caught the complexity of the people of Georgia. Georgia has a really crazy-quilt population – you have the back-country, small-town folks who tend to be very suspicious of outsiders, and old-school racist, having not been taught any differently; and then you have the big city folks, in Atlanta and Athens, especially, that are very liberal. These groups often clash, as can be expected, carrying on such acrimoniously different opinions about how things should be. Always being the sort to get into the middle of things, I think there are good points and bad points to both sides of the argument, and that Truth lies somewhere in the middle. Grant obviously has spent a great deal of time researching the people of this great state, and I feel he did a really good job of bringing it all the life. The characters are all wonderfully developed, unique, and grow (most of them) through the course of the book.
All-in-all, I can highly recommend this excellent story. The book is very long, with multiple points that feel like a denouement, but bear with it – the ending is well worth the trip and literally gave me goosebumps. A very satisfying story, a superbly gratifying read, and one you really don’t want to miss.
January 25, 2013
Imagine Neil Gaiman and Flannery O'Connor collaborating on a story about the legacy of a true-life ethnic cleansing in rural Georgia. Better yet, imagine that story being told by someone with both of those authors' greatest skills--Gaiman's deft and believable blending of the supernatural and the realistic, O'Connor's sharp eye for the South's gritty underbelly--and a wicked sense of humor that easily surpasses either of those authors. Imagine that, and you'll have a chance of picturing "Brambleman." (Of course, you probably still won't come close, because Grant's skills are such that this story unfolds unpredictably, with a number of delightful turns of fate that keep the reader guessing, and enthralled.)
The story begins with a struggling author, Charlie Sherman, getting kicked out of his house after his wife caught him behaving like (as he later puts it) "Onan the Barbarian." He ends up living in the basement of a dementia-addled woman, reworking the unpublished manuscript of her late husband, a scholar who'd been exploring the expulsion of African-Americans from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912. Shades of "Sunset Boulevard" and "Misery," perhaps, but what might have been a self-contained and derivative story arc for a less ambitious author ends up as just the opening of a full, rich and epic work, part history lesson, part satire about race and class in 21st century America, part exploration of the nature of faith and God and good and evil.
I usually hate, hate, HATE books whose protagonist is an author. But Grant did an awesome job with his--he's unafraid to make Charlie look too good or too bad, unafraid to show both the ridiculous fantasies (a hot hookup with the cute coffee shop barista, and maybe a friend of hers as well) and the pathetic realities (attempting to conceal from said barista that one is broke and living in a van) that can plague the undiscovered author. (Hopefully he won't stay that way; there's so much to love about this book that I really hope it finds a wider audience. Describing lynchings and mob justice in Georgia in 1912, for instance, one character observes that "black subjects were lucky if they were considered innocent until proven arrested.") I've reviewed several books by up-and-coming authors that left me dreading the reading, but this one kept me eager for more; I often found myself standing on the "L" platform in the cold Chicago winter, grasping my Kindle in gloved hands and turning pages with my nose so I could finish a chapter. It was just that compelling. And not only is it relentlessly readable, it's probably the best entertainment value you'll find this year. What more can you ask for?
The story begins with a struggling author, Charlie Sherman, getting kicked out of his house after his wife caught him behaving like (as he later puts it) "Onan the Barbarian." He ends up living in the basement of a dementia-addled woman, reworking the unpublished manuscript of her late husband, a scholar who'd been exploring the expulsion of African-Americans from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912. Shades of "Sunset Boulevard" and "Misery," perhaps, but what might have been a self-contained and derivative story arc for a less ambitious author ends up as just the opening of a full, rich and epic work, part history lesson, part satire about race and class in 21st century America, part exploration of the nature of faith and God and good and evil.
I usually hate, hate, HATE books whose protagonist is an author. But Grant did an awesome job with his--he's unafraid to make Charlie look too good or too bad, unafraid to show both the ridiculous fantasies (a hot hookup with the cute coffee shop barista, and maybe a friend of hers as well) and the pathetic realities (attempting to conceal from said barista that one is broke and living in a van) that can plague the undiscovered author. (Hopefully he won't stay that way; there's so much to love about this book that I really hope it finds a wider audience. Describing lynchings and mob justice in Georgia in 1912, for instance, one character observes that "black subjects were lucky if they were considered innocent until proven arrested.") I've reviewed several books by up-and-coming authors that left me dreading the reading, but this one kept me eager for more; I often found myself standing on the "L" platform in the cold Chicago winter, grasping my Kindle in gloved hands and turning pages with my nose so I could finish a chapter. It was just that compelling. And not only is it relentlessly readable, it's probably the best entertainment value you'll find this year. What more can you ask for?
November 2, 2012
Brambleman is a book with a lot of imagination, a lot of history and a lot of thought put into it. The author has previously written factual historic texts regarding racism in the South, This is version of prose, a poor beleaguered white newspaper editor and writer, who marries into the absolute wrong family, and the events that transpire because of it. They live in the Atlanta George of today, but to God, time doesn't matter at all. Read more and find out what I mean.
PLOT: It is now present day in Forsythe County, a basically all white, upscale, area in Gergia, which has quite a history. In 1912, a crime occurred, and all the African Americans were run out of the county by a mob of white people. That forty acres and a mule that was given to African American after slavery, well that land was passed down to their descendents who proudly worked the land. In this book, it is the land that is in question, as the biggest scam in history was perpetrated in Forsythe County, and Charlie Sherman, through Divine Intervention, is the man with the job to not only rat out the County, but rat out his in-laws, to make things right. First, he must finish a dead man's book about the Flight from Forsythe, but will he live to finish the book and get it on shelves, with all the varmints (his inlaws) on his trail, as they try to stop him with shotguns, the law, beatings, and monster trucks not to mention their use of the press in their need to shut him up. Will the book see the light of day? He has God on his side, but if he fails there are some disastrous consequences, so Charlie keeps writing no matter what - his life depends on it. But that is only the beginning of Charlie's trouble. There is so much more... The plot in this book is imaginative, tightly executed, with many different story arcs all under a single over-arching theme. It was very well done. For plot, I give this book, a 9/10.
CHARACTERIZATION: Charlie is the narrator throughout the entire book, so there are no transitions – this is his story, plain and simple. It would have had less power if it had changed character POV instead of being written the was it was. Charlie is a likeable guy, doing the best he can in a world gone suddenly mad – trying to fumble through and do the right thing, even though he has curve balls coming at him from all directions. Assassination attempts become blasé after a while. As a character, I liked him. He helped people, even though it cost him personally. Other people in the book were characterized well too, Minnie Doe, a proud, retired school teacher, living in a rough part of Atlanta – trying to raise her grandson, who was getting into gangs, but who she wanted in school. She was a strong woman, who lived a hard working life. She had pride in what she had accomplished, and took care of her own, or as much as they would let her. Another character that stands out is Redeemer Wilson, a radical reformer for racial injustice, he had been arrested so many times for marches against racism that the number was close to 200. He was elderly, yet drove a red Cadillac at high speed, and had a Hunger House where he fed the poor and homeless with donations from anyone that cared When the press would ask about his past in interviews, he would blow them off, saying “We are here to feed these good people and to give until it hurts on this holiday, so roll up your sleeves and help, or get out of here.” He was not a saint, but did good things for people, and that's what counts. .Everyone was characterized in this novel, even the ladies in the various coffee shops where Charlie wrote. For characterization, I give this novel a 9/10.
IMAGERY; The imagery in this book is most often violent, though there are some wonderful images of loving family and home, that give Charlie hope. A lot of the images are disturbing, carjackings, car crashes, lynchings, beatings, shootings, burnings, blood, violence of all sorts. There is one rape that is nor described at all, just its prelude. That was disturbing enough. Grant does an eerie job of putting images of violence and their aftermath into your head. My favorite images are of Charlie with his children, when they fall asleep on him, after reading a story. Their smell, their hair, their skin, all make him feel the love he has for them, and it overwhelms him, making him so happy, that he doesn't move until they wake the next morning. Being a parent, I completely understand that feeling. You could be in a pretzel shape, and you would still stay there with your children, as long as it took for them to awaken. One of my other favorite images is when Kathleen, the wife of the author, Talton of Flight from Forsythe, gets in a fight with her daughter Angela, who wants to stop the book, but that's against God's plan, so Kathleen smites her with boils on her face, as she has been given the Heavenly power of smiting. One by one they appear on Angela's face, as the two women argue. Big and ugly boils - they pop out, one here, pop, one there, pop, until her entire face is covered. She finally looks into a mirror and screams, then runs out the front door. “That will teach her to mess with me,” says Kathleen, an elderly woman, who didn't like her daughter before, and likes her less now that she is trying to stop Talton's book from coming out. The images in this book illustrate how messed up real humans are; a mixed bag of conflicting emotions and drives. When threatened, like the images of the varmints, they are full of life's little ironies and completely classic, and I'll leave you to discover those images on your own. Hysterically funny and completely over the top, but probably accurate. For imagery, I give this novel, a 9/10.
THE GORE SCORE: This novel rated pretty high on the Gore Score. There was a contract signed in blood that filled up a container that boiled when the Divine Power was unhappy, the protagonist was shot at with a shotgun four times, and hit twice, once rather badly in the face. Once the shooter missed and hit a crow. Once the shooter missed and shot himself, killing himself instantly. The one time Charlie did get shot in the face, the shooter died in a car accident and his body burned. Charlie's van was blown up in an attempted assassination attempt while Charlie was close by, which caused him to be slammed by a dumpster. Charlie was later beaten by a gang of thugs with boards with nails in them and chains and other implements, where he was seriously injured – losing an eye and breaking bones along with more scars. Charlie was also beaten by law enforcement of different types at different times in the name of holding him for 72 hours. John Riggin's detailed death and lynching scene from 1937 is retold by a kid – now an elderly man, who was hiding behind a bush and watched it that day on a trail by the river. A picture was taken of his blackened and burned corpse, hanging from a tree, surrounded by a mob of grinning poor white men from Forsythe. It is a parody of justice, not to mention disgusting all by itself. For a Gore Score, I give this novel an 8/10.
THE DIALOGUE: The dialogue in this book was incredibly well done. Grant had to do not only basic English, but varmint too, and uneducated as well as educated African American early 1900s English, which was not over done. He also had to do modern gansta. Varmint was the funniest of all. Even though these people were Charlie's in-laws, the way they spoke was hilarious. I don't know whether it is accurate or not, but it is funny and added humor to the story. The fact that they went on a television show very much like Jerry Springer, was so perfect, I had to stop ROTFLMAO and catch my breath before I could read some more. What a perfect match. When Shirlene arrived to even the score, we had a battle royale on our hands. Her dialogue was perfect to combat the varmints, with anti-varmint bombshells. Boom! Boom! Boom! All direct hits. When the varmints unwittingly confirmed what she said, there was mayhem on set. WOW! What could be better than varmint war, on White Trash TV? I ask you, can you think of anything more demeaning and degrading then discussing deep personal issues like incest, mutant children, rape, and child endangerment in front of millions of people LIVE on the AIR and then getting into a fist fight about it? I can think of worse things, but, they are unmentionable in polite company, so I won't say anything about them. For dialogue, I give this novel, a 9/10.
THE PACING: This book had a constant flow throughout it that kept you turning the pages. When Flight from Forsythe was completed, you thought the novel would be completed, but you were wrong, you were only half way done. Charlie had much more to do. He had misunderstood his contract, and had to get to work on something else, so you had half a book left to get the rest done. The second half of the book went as fast as the first half. There were as many shootings, beatings, and threats, if not more as the first. He continues to write, and delve into the history of Forsythe, but into a particular bit of history that pertains to the varmints, which means he is in a lot of trouble with the in-laws when this particular book comes out. The pacing in the entire novel is smooth and quick, with no transitions, it makes it easy to move from chapter to chapter. This was definitely a page turner, while we follow Charlie, who fumbles from one disaster to another trying to help people the best way he knows how, even though his circumstances are diminished, he still helps others. As a narrator, Charlie, is a good source of information, a person of some honor, trying to be an ascetic, he lives to write until his books are complete and then hides out until the fallout from his books are over. For pacing, I give the novel, a 9/10.
THE ENDING: The ending of the book was a surprise to say the least. The surprise started about two thirds of the way through the book, when Charlie did something unexpected, but very generous. This deed had repercussions, and was later described as his “Kyptonite” by a Divine agent. He renegotiated his deal, which meant more people lived, including him. The ending was a rather jaw drop moment, but if you sit and think about it, it is what his life prepared him for. It was just an unusual way for Charlie to become what he eventually became. Of course, he can't tell anyone, that would be against the rules. As the MARTA bus pulled up in front of his house to take him to his new destination, I was amazed at the other people on the bus and other physical condition, but then it all made sense. Empathy is a powerful emotion. You need it to help people who have hit hard times, and if you haven't been there yourself, how can you relate? The ending was a nice touch after all the violence, upset and death that the book had in it. The various story arcs closed out nicely, and the over-arching theme was taken care of quite well. Nobody came out unscathed, but that's the way that life works. For ending, I give this book a 10/10.
THE UPSHOT: Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. I abhor violence, but I believe that the violence in this book was needed to illustrate the points that the author was trying to make, as well as to make the historical points necessary from the past to show how badly a small percentage of people behaved, and why they did what they did. There is no excusing their actions. What they did was horrific. To protect their ill-gotten gains, even almost a century later, these people would go to any lengths to keep their actions quiet – including murder. This book was a wild ride through history as well as a wild ride through the present where varmints still reside. It is scary to think that people like this still exist in this day and age. I recommend this book to people who love historical fiction, as well as people who love action/adventure, mystery, books about books, about African American History, books about conspiracies, good human interest stories and a thumping good read. The final score for this novel is a 55/60, a mid 5 stars, and well deserved.
PLOT: It is now present day in Forsythe County, a basically all white, upscale, area in Gergia, which has quite a history. In 1912, a crime occurred, and all the African Americans were run out of the county by a mob of white people. That forty acres and a mule that was given to African American after slavery, well that land was passed down to their descendents who proudly worked the land. In this book, it is the land that is in question, as the biggest scam in history was perpetrated in Forsythe County, and Charlie Sherman, through Divine Intervention, is the man with the job to not only rat out the County, but rat out his in-laws, to make things right. First, he must finish a dead man's book about the Flight from Forsythe, but will he live to finish the book and get it on shelves, with all the varmints (his inlaws) on his trail, as they try to stop him with shotguns, the law, beatings, and monster trucks not to mention their use of the press in their need to shut him up. Will the book see the light of day? He has God on his side, but if he fails there are some disastrous consequences, so Charlie keeps writing no matter what - his life depends on it. But that is only the beginning of Charlie's trouble. There is so much more... The plot in this book is imaginative, tightly executed, with many different story arcs all under a single over-arching theme. It was very well done. For plot, I give this book, a 9/10.
CHARACTERIZATION: Charlie is the narrator throughout the entire book, so there are no transitions – this is his story, plain and simple. It would have had less power if it had changed character POV instead of being written the was it was. Charlie is a likeable guy, doing the best he can in a world gone suddenly mad – trying to fumble through and do the right thing, even though he has curve balls coming at him from all directions. Assassination attempts become blasé after a while. As a character, I liked him. He helped people, even though it cost him personally. Other people in the book were characterized well too, Minnie Doe, a proud, retired school teacher, living in a rough part of Atlanta – trying to raise her grandson, who was getting into gangs, but who she wanted in school. She was a strong woman, who lived a hard working life. She had pride in what she had accomplished, and took care of her own, or as much as they would let her. Another character that stands out is Redeemer Wilson, a radical reformer for racial injustice, he had been arrested so many times for marches against racism that the number was close to 200. He was elderly, yet drove a red Cadillac at high speed, and had a Hunger House where he fed the poor and homeless with donations from anyone that cared When the press would ask about his past in interviews, he would blow them off, saying “We are here to feed these good people and to give until it hurts on this holiday, so roll up your sleeves and help, or get out of here.” He was not a saint, but did good things for people, and that's what counts. .Everyone was characterized in this novel, even the ladies in the various coffee shops where Charlie wrote. For characterization, I give this novel a 9/10.
IMAGERY; The imagery in this book is most often violent, though there are some wonderful images of loving family and home, that give Charlie hope. A lot of the images are disturbing, carjackings, car crashes, lynchings, beatings, shootings, burnings, blood, violence of all sorts. There is one rape that is nor described at all, just its prelude. That was disturbing enough. Grant does an eerie job of putting images of violence and their aftermath into your head. My favorite images are of Charlie with his children, when they fall asleep on him, after reading a story. Their smell, their hair, their skin, all make him feel the love he has for them, and it overwhelms him, making him so happy, that he doesn't move until they wake the next morning. Being a parent, I completely understand that feeling. You could be in a pretzel shape, and you would still stay there with your children, as long as it took for them to awaken. One of my other favorite images is when Kathleen, the wife of the author, Talton of Flight from Forsythe, gets in a fight with her daughter Angela, who wants to stop the book, but that's against God's plan, so Kathleen smites her with boils on her face, as she has been given the Heavenly power of smiting. One by one they appear on Angela's face, as the two women argue. Big and ugly boils - they pop out, one here, pop, one there, pop, until her entire face is covered. She finally looks into a mirror and screams, then runs out the front door. “That will teach her to mess with me,” says Kathleen, an elderly woman, who didn't like her daughter before, and likes her less now that she is trying to stop Talton's book from coming out. The images in this book illustrate how messed up real humans are; a mixed bag of conflicting emotions and drives. When threatened, like the images of the varmints, they are full of life's little ironies and completely classic, and I'll leave you to discover those images on your own. Hysterically funny and completely over the top, but probably accurate. For imagery, I give this novel, a 9/10.
THE GORE SCORE: This novel rated pretty high on the Gore Score. There was a contract signed in blood that filled up a container that boiled when the Divine Power was unhappy, the protagonist was shot at with a shotgun four times, and hit twice, once rather badly in the face. Once the shooter missed and hit a crow. Once the shooter missed and shot himself, killing himself instantly. The one time Charlie did get shot in the face, the shooter died in a car accident and his body burned. Charlie's van was blown up in an attempted assassination attempt while Charlie was close by, which caused him to be slammed by a dumpster. Charlie was later beaten by a gang of thugs with boards with nails in them and chains and other implements, where he was seriously injured – losing an eye and breaking bones along with more scars. Charlie was also beaten by law enforcement of different types at different times in the name of holding him for 72 hours. John Riggin's detailed death and lynching scene from 1937 is retold by a kid – now an elderly man, who was hiding behind a bush and watched it that day on a trail by the river. A picture was taken of his blackened and burned corpse, hanging from a tree, surrounded by a mob of grinning poor white men from Forsythe. It is a parody of justice, not to mention disgusting all by itself. For a Gore Score, I give this novel an 8/10.
THE DIALOGUE: The dialogue in this book was incredibly well done. Grant had to do not only basic English, but varmint too, and uneducated as well as educated African American early 1900s English, which was not over done. He also had to do modern gansta. Varmint was the funniest of all. Even though these people were Charlie's in-laws, the way they spoke was hilarious. I don't know whether it is accurate or not, but it is funny and added humor to the story. The fact that they went on a television show very much like Jerry Springer, was so perfect, I had to stop ROTFLMAO and catch my breath before I could read some more. What a perfect match. When Shirlene arrived to even the score, we had a battle royale on our hands. Her dialogue was perfect to combat the varmints, with anti-varmint bombshells. Boom! Boom! Boom! All direct hits. When the varmints unwittingly confirmed what she said, there was mayhem on set. WOW! What could be better than varmint war, on White Trash TV? I ask you, can you think of anything more demeaning and degrading then discussing deep personal issues like incest, mutant children, rape, and child endangerment in front of millions of people LIVE on the AIR and then getting into a fist fight about it? I can think of worse things, but, they are unmentionable in polite company, so I won't say anything about them. For dialogue, I give this novel, a 9/10.
THE PACING: This book had a constant flow throughout it that kept you turning the pages. When Flight from Forsythe was completed, you thought the novel would be completed, but you were wrong, you were only half way done. Charlie had much more to do. He had misunderstood his contract, and had to get to work on something else, so you had half a book left to get the rest done. The second half of the book went as fast as the first half. There were as many shootings, beatings, and threats, if not more as the first. He continues to write, and delve into the history of Forsythe, but into a particular bit of history that pertains to the varmints, which means he is in a lot of trouble with the in-laws when this particular book comes out. The pacing in the entire novel is smooth and quick, with no transitions, it makes it easy to move from chapter to chapter. This was definitely a page turner, while we follow Charlie, who fumbles from one disaster to another trying to help people the best way he knows how, even though his circumstances are diminished, he still helps others. As a narrator, Charlie, is a good source of information, a person of some honor, trying to be an ascetic, he lives to write until his books are complete and then hides out until the fallout from his books are over. For pacing, I give the novel, a 9/10.
THE ENDING: The ending of the book was a surprise to say the least. The surprise started about two thirds of the way through the book, when Charlie did something unexpected, but very generous. This deed had repercussions, and was later described as his “Kyptonite” by a Divine agent. He renegotiated his deal, which meant more people lived, including him. The ending was a rather jaw drop moment, but if you sit and think about it, it is what his life prepared him for. It was just an unusual way for Charlie to become what he eventually became. Of course, he can't tell anyone, that would be against the rules. As the MARTA bus pulled up in front of his house to take him to his new destination, I was amazed at the other people on the bus and other physical condition, but then it all made sense. Empathy is a powerful emotion. You need it to help people who have hit hard times, and if you haven't been there yourself, how can you relate? The ending was a nice touch after all the violence, upset and death that the book had in it. The various story arcs closed out nicely, and the over-arching theme was taken care of quite well. Nobody came out unscathed, but that's the way that life works. For ending, I give this book a 10/10.
THE UPSHOT: Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. I abhor violence, but I believe that the violence in this book was needed to illustrate the points that the author was trying to make, as well as to make the historical points necessary from the past to show how badly a small percentage of people behaved, and why they did what they did. There is no excusing their actions. What they did was horrific. To protect their ill-gotten gains, even almost a century later, these people would go to any lengths to keep their actions quiet – including murder. This book was a wild ride through history as well as a wild ride through the present where varmints still reside. It is scary to think that people like this still exist in this day and age. I recommend this book to people who love historical fiction, as well as people who love action/adventure, mystery, books about books, about African American History, books about conspiracies, good human interest stories and a thumping good read. The final score for this novel is a 55/60, a mid 5 stars, and well deserved.
April 3, 2012
“I’m not from around here, and I’ve been places you’ll never want to go. Unless you’re even stupider than you look.” - Trouble
Charlie Sherman’s been accused of worse things than being stupid. His wife, in fact, kicked him out of the house for being a failure as both a writer and father, though that porn he inadvertently set as the desktop on his computer certainly didn’t help matters.
While at a diner trying to figure out exactly what his next step is Charlie meets a mysterious stranger known only as ‘Trouble.’ Despite that ominous moniker, Trouble actually hooks Charlie up with a job finishing the massive, jumbled manuscript a recently deceased local professor never quite completed. As a bonus, Charlie can also live in the basement of the professor’s widow’s house while working on the project. Life may have handed Charlie lemons, but he’s found a way to make lemonade. Yeah, if only it was that easy.
First there’s the matter of the manuscript’s topic, the horrific events of 1912 in which the whites of Forsyth County, Georgia engaged in intimidation, arson, and lynching to drive the black population from their homes. Much of the resulting “vacant” property was subsequently seized by white families, one parcel of which is now worth nearly $20 million dollars in the highly upscale – and lily white – Forsyth. When in the course of working on the book Charlie discovers the rightful heir to that property things get seriously complicated, with Charlie put in the position of either walking away or opening an enormous can of worms.
There’s also the highly disturbing fact the contract Charlie signed regarding the book project seems to be changing on its own; he doesn’t remember there originally being a clause in there about the project being a success or he would forfeit his life, and he’s damn sure he signed in ink, not blood. What has Charlie gotten himself into?
Like his first novel, Chain Gang Elementary, Jonathan Grant’s highly ambitious and engaging second novel, Brambleman, once again took me somewhere I wasn’t quite expecting. Though the book presents a tremendous amount of historical information about the events of 1912, by constructing the story around the premise Charlie is himself working on a text about the events – a book within the book – it all flows naturally. Indeed, as he did in Chain Gang Elementary Grant demonstrates once again that he is particularly adept at weaving hard-edged sociopolitical topics into the fabric of his fictional narrative without being heavy-handed, never sacrificing his storytelling to “just the facts.”
Brambleman goes far beyond “just the facts” actually, as there is a decidedly supernatural element to the tale, one that becomes more pronounced as the story unfolds. In fact, before you know it Grant has taken what initially appeared to be the simple story of a down on his luck writer and turned it into a reflection on personal spirituality, vengeance, and destiny. Because of the topics it touches on, both fact and fiction, Brambleman is not exactly a “beach read” kind of book. What Brambleman is, however, is an extremely well-written book that will both entertain and inform. And you can’t really ask for more than that now, can you?
Charlie Sherman’s been accused of worse things than being stupid. His wife, in fact, kicked him out of the house for being a failure as both a writer and father, though that porn he inadvertently set as the desktop on his computer certainly didn’t help matters.
While at a diner trying to figure out exactly what his next step is Charlie meets a mysterious stranger known only as ‘Trouble.’ Despite that ominous moniker, Trouble actually hooks Charlie up with a job finishing the massive, jumbled manuscript a recently deceased local professor never quite completed. As a bonus, Charlie can also live in the basement of the professor’s widow’s house while working on the project. Life may have handed Charlie lemons, but he’s found a way to make lemonade. Yeah, if only it was that easy.
First there’s the matter of the manuscript’s topic, the horrific events of 1912 in which the whites of Forsyth County, Georgia engaged in intimidation, arson, and lynching to drive the black population from their homes. Much of the resulting “vacant” property was subsequently seized by white families, one parcel of which is now worth nearly $20 million dollars in the highly upscale – and lily white – Forsyth. When in the course of working on the book Charlie discovers the rightful heir to that property things get seriously complicated, with Charlie put in the position of either walking away or opening an enormous can of worms.
There’s also the highly disturbing fact the contract Charlie signed regarding the book project seems to be changing on its own; he doesn’t remember there originally being a clause in there about the project being a success or he would forfeit his life, and he’s damn sure he signed in ink, not blood. What has Charlie gotten himself into?
Like his first novel, Chain Gang Elementary, Jonathan Grant’s highly ambitious and engaging second novel, Brambleman, once again took me somewhere I wasn’t quite expecting. Though the book presents a tremendous amount of historical information about the events of 1912, by constructing the story around the premise Charlie is himself working on a text about the events – a book within the book – it all flows naturally. Indeed, as he did in Chain Gang Elementary Grant demonstrates once again that he is particularly adept at weaving hard-edged sociopolitical topics into the fabric of his fictional narrative without being heavy-handed, never sacrificing his storytelling to “just the facts.”
Brambleman goes far beyond “just the facts” actually, as there is a decidedly supernatural element to the tale, one that becomes more pronounced as the story unfolds. In fact, before you know it Grant has taken what initially appeared to be the simple story of a down on his luck writer and turned it into a reflection on personal spirituality, vengeance, and destiny. Because of the topics it touches on, both fact and fiction, Brambleman is not exactly a “beach read” kind of book. What Brambleman is, however, is an extremely well-written book that will both entertain and inform. And you can’t really ask for more than that now, can you?
December 24, 2015
Summary:
Stay-at-home dad Charles Sherman’s writing career is going nowhere fast until the day he meets Trouble, an odd man who convinces Charles to complete a dead history professor’s unpublished manuscript. Thurwood Talton wrote about the forced evacuation of 1000 African Americans from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912 after a violent period of mob lynchings, nightriding and arson. However, as Charles tries to resurrect Talton’s boring tome, he uncovers a sinister crime that’s gone unpunished for many decades and hits closer to home than Charles could have ever imagined.
The suspicious sequence of events leaves Charles certain that divine intervention is at play and that he was specially selected to bring the sinners to justice. This mission pits him against Forsyth County’s most prominent family which is negotiating a pending land sale. Charles also incurs the wrath of others who will do anything to keep the truth from being made public. But if a Higher Power is ultimately behind this, he’s definitely not cutting Charles any slack since everything quickly goes terribly wrong for the well-intentioned writer.
My Thoughts:
The story is powerful and gripping, and even more so when the reader learns it was inspired by real-life events. Author Jonathan Grant is essentially Charles Sherman, having worked on his late father Donald L. Grant’s magnum opus, “The Way It Was in the South: The Black Experience in Georgia.” Then there’s Forsyth County’s history which is a matter of public record. The region made national news in 1987 when Hosea Williams led two civil rights marches: the first was broken up by rock- and bottle-throwing neo-Nazis and Klansmen, while the second became the largest protest in history with 25,000 marchers.
Grant deserves much credit for bringing the past to life without regurgitating facts and boring the audience in the process. Although a bit lengthy, he keeps the suspense building throughout the entire book. There’s no way to guess how it will end since you never know what each turn of the page will bring. The main character’s plight is just a never-ending series of misfortunate events, all seemingly designed to stop him from righting the wrongs done to others so long ago. Somehow though he finds the wherewithal to keep going, and you can’t help but cheer him on and hope for a “happy ending” after all he’s been through.
The supernatural element adds further drama since you can’t tell whether Charles is working for a vengeful God or has unknowingly made a pact with the devil. Yet the twist doesn’t make the plot any less believable. On the contrary, the story is painfully realistic, especially in its depiction of racism. Here, Grant does an excellent job portraying each character’s struggle as they try to reconcile an ugly past with a progressive world’s changing state of affairs.
All in all, “Brambleman” is a lively and passionate read that leaves you emotionally spent and infinitely wiser by the end, the very hallmark of a compelling book. I highly recommend it to all.
Stay-at-home dad Charles Sherman’s writing career is going nowhere fast until the day he meets Trouble, an odd man who convinces Charles to complete a dead history professor’s unpublished manuscript. Thurwood Talton wrote about the forced evacuation of 1000 African Americans from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912 after a violent period of mob lynchings, nightriding and arson. However, as Charles tries to resurrect Talton’s boring tome, he uncovers a sinister crime that’s gone unpunished for many decades and hits closer to home than Charles could have ever imagined.
The suspicious sequence of events leaves Charles certain that divine intervention is at play and that he was specially selected to bring the sinners to justice. This mission pits him against Forsyth County’s most prominent family which is negotiating a pending land sale. Charles also incurs the wrath of others who will do anything to keep the truth from being made public. But if a Higher Power is ultimately behind this, he’s definitely not cutting Charles any slack since everything quickly goes terribly wrong for the well-intentioned writer.
My Thoughts:
The story is powerful and gripping, and even more so when the reader learns it was inspired by real-life events. Author Jonathan Grant is essentially Charles Sherman, having worked on his late father Donald L. Grant’s magnum opus, “The Way It Was in the South: The Black Experience in Georgia.” Then there’s Forsyth County’s history which is a matter of public record. The region made national news in 1987 when Hosea Williams led two civil rights marches: the first was broken up by rock- and bottle-throwing neo-Nazis and Klansmen, while the second became the largest protest in history with 25,000 marchers.
Grant deserves much credit for bringing the past to life without regurgitating facts and boring the audience in the process. Although a bit lengthy, he keeps the suspense building throughout the entire book. There’s no way to guess how it will end since you never know what each turn of the page will bring. The main character’s plight is just a never-ending series of misfortunate events, all seemingly designed to stop him from righting the wrongs done to others so long ago. Somehow though he finds the wherewithal to keep going, and you can’t help but cheer him on and hope for a “happy ending” after all he’s been through.
The supernatural element adds further drama since you can’t tell whether Charles is working for a vengeful God or has unknowingly made a pact with the devil. Yet the twist doesn’t make the plot any less believable. On the contrary, the story is painfully realistic, especially in its depiction of racism. Here, Grant does an excellent job portraying each character’s struggle as they try to reconcile an ugly past with a progressive world’s changing state of affairs.
All in all, “Brambleman” is a lively and passionate read that leaves you emotionally spent and infinitely wiser by the end, the very hallmark of a compelling book. I highly recommend it to all.
July 1, 2012
I REALLY enjoyed this book. Very much a page-turner. I couldn't wait to read the next chapter, and the next, and the next...
Jonathan Grant’s Brambleman is historical fiction, taking place in Forsyth County in my backyard of Cumming, GA. It was interesting, to say the least, learning about what's happened here in the county I've lived in for almost 15 years. More accurately, I was appalled to learn that Oprah's visit here in the late 80's was the tip of Forsyth's history-making iceberg. Lynching was an acceptable practice here in the early-to-mid 1900's, served by the hands of whites who didn't appreciate the hard working blacks in their community doing jobs better than them, without complaint and for less money. Moreover, they didn't like that blacks owned property, so Forsyth's whites ran them off their lands and out of the county and took over black-owned land as their own.
This is not to say that blacks were completely innocent, but when made a criminal, Forsyth's white residents took it upon themselves to serve justice their way when they could get away with it, which was apparently often and bloody.
Grant interweaves Forsyth’s true history with the fictional story of a man, Charlie, who is newly separated from his wife, whose family resides in Forsyth County on land now (in our decade) worth millions. This novel contains a bit of magic -- think George Bailey and his angel savior in It's A Wonderful Life, but with a much darker slant -- that comes and goes with a character Charlie names Trouble. Trouble helps Charlie find a job and place to live, both with an elderly woman whose late husband wrote a hefty historic digest revealing Forsyth county’s nasty little secrets but died shortly after finishing it and not coincidentally one week after participating in the Forsyth march (on the side of justice) in the late 80's. Charlie's job is to edit and publish the tome, which ends up uncovering lots of nastiness about his backwoods in-laws, ‘the varmints’. And this is just the beginning of our journey.
Grant's Brambleman is a history lesson, an awakening (yes, blacks still have it tough), and a wild ride of a story. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, and if you appreciate endings wrapped up in nice, neat packages, you’ll enjoy it, as well.
Jonathan Grant’s Brambleman is historical fiction, taking place in Forsyth County in my backyard of Cumming, GA. It was interesting, to say the least, learning about what's happened here in the county I've lived in for almost 15 years. More accurately, I was appalled to learn that Oprah's visit here in the late 80's was the tip of Forsyth's history-making iceberg. Lynching was an acceptable practice here in the early-to-mid 1900's, served by the hands of whites who didn't appreciate the hard working blacks in their community doing jobs better than them, without complaint and for less money. Moreover, they didn't like that blacks owned property, so Forsyth's whites ran them off their lands and out of the county and took over black-owned land as their own.
This is not to say that blacks were completely innocent, but when made a criminal, Forsyth's white residents took it upon themselves to serve justice their way when they could get away with it, which was apparently often and bloody.
Grant interweaves Forsyth’s true history with the fictional story of a man, Charlie, who is newly separated from his wife, whose family resides in Forsyth County on land now (in our decade) worth millions. This novel contains a bit of magic -- think George Bailey and his angel savior in It's A Wonderful Life, but with a much darker slant -- that comes and goes with a character Charlie names Trouble. Trouble helps Charlie find a job and place to live, both with an elderly woman whose late husband wrote a hefty historic digest revealing Forsyth county’s nasty little secrets but died shortly after finishing it and not coincidentally one week after participating in the Forsyth march (on the side of justice) in the late 80's. Charlie's job is to edit and publish the tome, which ends up uncovering lots of nastiness about his backwoods in-laws, ‘the varmints’. And this is just the beginning of our journey.
Grant's Brambleman is a history lesson, an awakening (yes, blacks still have it tough), and a wild ride of a story. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending, and if you appreciate endings wrapped up in nice, neat packages, you’ll enjoy it, as well.
April 22, 2012
Jonathan Grant's Brambleman grabbed my attention before I opened the book. I live in Atlanta, so when I discovered that the novel included some not-so-pretty history of Forsyth County, I knew I had to read it. Brambleman took me on a journey that surprised me. Maybe a better description would be a roller coaster adventure – just when I thought the ride was calming down, it would start taking another loop-de-loop.
Charlie Sherman, a struggling writer and stay-at-home dad, gets kicked out of his house. As the newly homeless Charlie, unsure of what lies ahead, waits for coffee in a diner, along comes Trouble. And yes, that's with a capital “T”. Trouble, a character both unpleasant to look at and smell, enters Charlie's life with a BOOM, and everything changes. The changes seem to fall in the “positive” column at first. He's offered a job editing a dead professor's manuscript, Flight from Forsyth, about whites driving blacks from Forsyth County. He's given a place to stay. However, just when things seem to be going well, things start going not-so-well.
Charlie goes on the ride of a lifetime, and I, the reader, held on and rode along. With Charlie, I learned much about crimes against black citizens in Forsyth County – not only back in 1912, but up to 1987 (a year which saw Oprah Winfrey fly down and do a show about the racial tensions at the time). As Charlie gets closer to the truth, his life is endangered and the lives of countless others (the innocent and not-so-innocent) are turned upside down.
While Brambleman is a novel, there is much truth among its pages. I don't want to give away too many details, because it's worth taking the ride yourself. Charlie learns more than he set out to learn, not just about Forsyth County history, but about himself. One sentence from the book's prologue comes to mind: “This time, she asked for vengeance, justice, companionship, completion, and closure.” Indeed, Brambleman deals with all that, and more. Highly recommended.
Charlie Sherman, a struggling writer and stay-at-home dad, gets kicked out of his house. As the newly homeless Charlie, unsure of what lies ahead, waits for coffee in a diner, along comes Trouble. And yes, that's with a capital “T”. Trouble, a character both unpleasant to look at and smell, enters Charlie's life with a BOOM, and everything changes. The changes seem to fall in the “positive” column at first. He's offered a job editing a dead professor's manuscript, Flight from Forsyth, about whites driving blacks from Forsyth County. He's given a place to stay. However, just when things seem to be going well, things start going not-so-well.
Charlie goes on the ride of a lifetime, and I, the reader, held on and rode along. With Charlie, I learned much about crimes against black citizens in Forsyth County – not only back in 1912, but up to 1987 (a year which saw Oprah Winfrey fly down and do a show about the racial tensions at the time). As Charlie gets closer to the truth, his life is endangered and the lives of countless others (the innocent and not-so-innocent) are turned upside down.
While Brambleman is a novel, there is much truth among its pages. I don't want to give away too many details, because it's worth taking the ride yourself. Charlie learns more than he set out to learn, not just about Forsyth County history, but about himself. One sentence from the book's prologue comes to mind: “This time, she asked for vengeance, justice, companionship, completion, and closure.” Indeed, Brambleman deals with all that, and more. Highly recommended.
March 21, 2012
Charlie a stay home Dad and ‘wanna’ be writer finds himself out on his ear after his wife discovers pornographic images on his computer. Wandering around with nowhere to go and feeling depressed Charlie finds himself on a bridge contemplating suicide. In an ‘It’s a Wonderful life’ moment a disturbance saves him from himself, when he goes to investigate he finds a person engulfed in flames. The burning man turns out to be ‘Trouble’ a strange character who says he is ‘here to help’. Trouble introduces Charlie to ‘Kathleen Talton’; an old lady with Alzheimer’s, who wants someone to finish writing her dead husbands book. They talk and decide it would be the perfect position for Charlie. He soon realises there is more to this story than he thought when his research points him towards corrupt politicians and his own family members.
Although very different stories I see similarities between this and JG’s first novel ‘The Chain Gang Elementary’. The protagonists in each book are men in failing marriages who work from home and look after their children while earning considerably less money than each of their ‘power hungry’ ’money loving’ wives; who by the way also share a feeling of boredom and intolerance towards their inadequate husbands. Both books have a conscientious lead character who is far from perfect and a plot that has an anti-racist theme, an issue I feel must be close to the authors heart or locality.
This is a very well written novel with a varied vocabulary and structured prose, clearly Mr. Grant has the skill required to construct a sentence and write a good story with a complicated plot and a diverse set of characters. I was intrigued by ‘Trouble and Romy, they were both characters that I had to think and wonder about, and hadn’t expected to find in this book. overall I found Brambleman to be and interesting and informative read.
Copy supplied for review.
Although very different stories I see similarities between this and JG’s first novel ‘The Chain Gang Elementary’. The protagonists in each book are men in failing marriages who work from home and look after their children while earning considerably less money than each of their ‘power hungry’ ’money loving’ wives; who by the way also share a feeling of boredom and intolerance towards their inadequate husbands. Both books have a conscientious lead character who is far from perfect and a plot that has an anti-racist theme, an issue I feel must be close to the authors heart or locality.
This is a very well written novel with a varied vocabulary and structured prose, clearly Mr. Grant has the skill required to construct a sentence and write a good story with a complicated plot and a diverse set of characters. I was intrigued by ‘Trouble and Romy, they were both characters that I had to think and wonder about, and hadn’t expected to find in this book. overall I found Brambleman to be and interesting and informative read.
Copy supplied for review.
August 7, 2013
Charlie Sherman is having a spectacularly bad day. His wife has found an incriminating picture on his computer (put there for research purposes, of course), accused him of threatening her with a sledgehammer (circumstantial, of course--he brought a weapon to defeat the would-be attacker who made his wife scream in such a fashion after finding aforementioned picture), and with the aid of the police, summarily evicted him from his home. So, on the night after Christmas, he finds himself homeless, despairing of his poor luck and failed writing career, and contemplating a dive from the bridge. He witnesses a miraculous traffic incident and realizes that jumping would preclude observing other bizarre things, and surely, it's worth it to stick around for a while longer.
All of this happens in the early pages of the book. We see Charlie luck into a job particularly suited to his writing talents that comes with room and board. The catch is that the room resembles a dungeon and his landlady/erstwhile employer is senile and potentially wielding mojo of near-Biblical proportions (curses, anyone?). He signs a contract to edit her late husband's treatise on the history of racial crimes in all-white Forsyth County, Georgia and the roller coaster ride starts.
In Brambleman, Jonathan Grant takes us on a wild ride punctuated by a troublesome (and foul-smelling) avenging angel, the miracles of public transportation, death threats from in-laws, and near constant calamities that somehow manage to only add to Charlie's determination to see justice prevail.
The weight of the subject matter is artfully buoyed by Grant's humor strategically levied throughout and our desire to root for Charlie as a lovable underdog. Parts of the book were difficult to read, as I believe they were meant to be, but I was drawn to it nonetheless and very interested to learn how Charlie's journey would end. It's a book I would definitely read again.
All of this happens in the early pages of the book. We see Charlie luck into a job particularly suited to his writing talents that comes with room and board. The catch is that the room resembles a dungeon and his landlady/erstwhile employer is senile and potentially wielding mojo of near-Biblical proportions (curses, anyone?). He signs a contract to edit her late husband's treatise on the history of racial crimes in all-white Forsyth County, Georgia and the roller coaster ride starts.
In Brambleman, Jonathan Grant takes us on a wild ride punctuated by a troublesome (and foul-smelling) avenging angel, the miracles of public transportation, death threats from in-laws, and near constant calamities that somehow manage to only add to Charlie's determination to see justice prevail.
The weight of the subject matter is artfully buoyed by Grant's humor strategically levied throughout and our desire to root for Charlie as a lovable underdog. Parts of the book were difficult to read, as I believe they were meant to be, but I was drawn to it nonetheless and very interested to learn how Charlie's journey would end. It's a book I would definitely read again.
May 12, 2012
This author really puts his main character through a lot in this story. Those are really the best type fo reads, you really don't know how they are going to make it out ok.
Charlie is down on his luck being called a failure in life by his wife and kicked out of the house. A man by the name of Trouble-literally, offers him a deal that sounds too good to be true, finish a book that was left unfinished by a professor.
As Charlie delves deeper into the events that occurred in the book, he focuses on a family farm and historical events that have a not so good past including slavery, civil rights and the especially interesting fact that the story seems to hit a little close to home when he finds a connection to his wife's family.
I think this is a book that fans of John Grisham and Michael Connelly would enjoy. The mix of a flawed main character that not only has to work his way through his own problems but also a mystery and putting himself in danger, as well as deeper look into the darker side of America's history.
There is a great mixture of characters and the unraveling of the plot was perfect. It has some uplifting points unveiled through all the darker events that Charlie must find his way through.
Charlie is down on his luck being called a failure in life by his wife and kicked out of the house. A man by the name of Trouble-literally, offers him a deal that sounds too good to be true, finish a book that was left unfinished by a professor.
As Charlie delves deeper into the events that occurred in the book, he focuses on a family farm and historical events that have a not so good past including slavery, civil rights and the especially interesting fact that the story seems to hit a little close to home when he finds a connection to his wife's family.
I think this is a book that fans of John Grisham and Michael Connelly would enjoy. The mix of a flawed main character that not only has to work his way through his own problems but also a mystery and putting himself in danger, as well as deeper look into the darker side of America's history.
There is a great mixture of characters and the unraveling of the plot was perfect. It has some uplifting points unveiled through all the darker events that Charlie must find his way through.
July 19, 2012
Another excellent story by Mr. Grant. It took me a while to get through it but it was worth it.
The cast of characters were vast. It was two books in one, which is what it is. By the time Charlie starts the second book, you almost forget there was a first. But it all worked itself out in the end, good or bad, for some.
I know this is probably a bad review but this book was an excellent read. I might have finished it sooner if I had an actual eReader instead of my phone lol.
The cast of characters were vast. It was two books in one, which is what it is. By the time Charlie starts the second book, you almost forget there was a first. But it all worked itself out in the end, good or bad, for some.
I know this is probably a bad review but this book was an excellent read. I might have finished it sooner if I had an actual eReader instead of my phone lol.
July 22, 2014
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
Brambleman was definitely original, combining historical fiction and mystery. The main character, Charlie, gets put through so many ordeals I thought he was going to collapse any moment. The book is great though, the characters are realistic, and the plot is a real page-turner.
Brambleman was definitely original, combining historical fiction and mystery. The main character, Charlie, gets put through so many ordeals I thought he was going to collapse any moment. The book is great though, the characters are realistic, and the plot is a real page-turner.
April 21, 2012
Fantastic story that will keep you turning pages all day and make you forget about the time passing in front of you. Cant wait to see a film adaptation of this work, since it will make a good and intriguing film. This is a must read.
June 3, 2012
Excellent but long read about a many who makes a pact with an avenging angel. It was very well written and interesting regarding some history of the Civil Rights movement.
January 8, 2013
Amazing!! Not what I was expecting but a happy surprise!!
December 22, 2017
Great book! Although fictional, it covers as its subject matter events in Forsyth County that really happened. There is much we don't know, so in a way this fictional account fills in the gaps. There is a phantasmagorical element to the book and, of course, that's not real. But lynching of innocent black residents of Forsyth County, confiscation of their property, and other terrorizing acts did happen. That's a matter of historical record and part of Forsyth County's shameful past.
Read
June 16, 2017Laughing and crying - Please don't fling me in the briar patch!
October 17, 2012
This book centers around the racial history of Forsyth County GA, where I have lived for 10 years. A friend recommended it so I bought it mainly due to the historical aspect of the book. Honestly I had no idea the main plot line. It was very interesting to read about some of the horrific things that happened here in the early 1900's but none of that was surprising. What was surprising, however, was the strange storyline that actually really sucks you in. I like it when I am consistently wrong about where a story is going and I certainly was with Brambleman. The beginning of the book was described in one review as being reminiscent of "it's a Wonderful Life"., although I felt that in this book Charlie seemed to be constantly shown that his life did suck, just when you thought it couldn't get much worse it would. I can't help but describe the book as "touched by an Angel" meets Freddie Kruger. I will admit for quite a bit of the book I really wished that aspect had been left out, it seemed too hokey, but later it really gave purpose to the story. There are always reviews that tell you the basic plot lines, but there is no way to explain much of this plot line without spoiling the book. I feel the basic book description does thatnpart. I definitely enjoyed it. Would give it 4.5 stars if I could
November 8, 2012
**REVISED REVIEW...REVISED REVIEW...REVISED REVIEW**
Read my full review @ http://bit.ly/SNDcjJ
Although, I generally liked this storyline...really liked this storyline, I found that the book was too long. Now, not that I don't regularly read 500+ page books, but normally the story flows. I found that parts of this book was almost written as "fluff" to expand the book and didn't bring any meaning to the storyline.
This book deals with some pretty horrific events frequently in a graphic manner. But there was something that was electrifying to this book.
Had there not of been the feeling that the book was just written with "extended" scenes, it easily would have been a 4 to 4.5 star read for me.
ETA (11/08/2012) I had originally given this book a higher rating UNTIL I received the most unprofessional,snarky, condescending email from the author regarding my review. BTW..Mr. Grant, a rating which includes a .5 increment can either be rounded higher OR lower...Your book DID NOT garner, in my humble opinion, the higher rating! I was very nice in my review to state that GR friends of mine had bumped it up.
As to your comments re: number of pages...even Goodreads AND my nook place this book close to 500 pages. If it isn't... that is even worse for you and the book drags more for lesser pages!
Read my full review @ http://bit.ly/SNDcjJ
Although, I generally liked this storyline...really liked this storyline, I found that the book was too long. Now, not that I don't regularly read 500+ page books, but normally the story flows. I found that parts of this book was almost written as "fluff" to expand the book and didn't bring any meaning to the storyline.
This book deals with some pretty horrific events frequently in a graphic manner. But there was something that was electrifying to this book.
Had there not of been the feeling that the book was just written with "extended" scenes, it easily would have been a 4 to 4.5 star read for me.
ETA (11/08/2012) I had originally given this book a higher rating UNTIL I received the most unprofessional,snarky, condescending email from the author regarding my review. BTW..Mr. Grant, a rating which includes a .5 increment can either be rounded higher OR lower...Your book DID NOT garner, in my humble opinion, the higher rating! I was very nice in my review to state that GR friends of mine had bumped it up.
As to your comments re: number of pages...even Goodreads AND my nook place this book close to 500 pages. If it isn't... that is even worse for you and the book drags more for lesser pages!
October 12, 2012
Katy and Elizabeth White have written fantastic synopses of this book on Shelfari.com so I fortunately do not need to compete with them (phew).
This book does indeed tackle a difficult historical event of the early 20th century - rampant treatment by whites of blacks as sub-human. The author does an excellent job of bringing people of different backgrounds into a well crafted novel.
Even though the book is long, it is not difficult to stay engrossed. The story, while difficult at times due to subject matter, flows well. It is interesting and, indeed, quite humorous at times. In fact, humor is liberally sprinkled throughout this novel.
I highly recommend this book and give it a 4.5 star rating. I did receive the book as a free giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this novel so help support this talented author.
This book does indeed tackle a difficult historical event of the early 20th century - rampant treatment by whites of blacks as sub-human. The author does an excellent job of bringing people of different backgrounds into a well crafted novel.
Even though the book is long, it is not difficult to stay engrossed. The story, while difficult at times due to subject matter, flows well. It is interesting and, indeed, quite humorous at times. In fact, humor is liberally sprinkled throughout this novel.
I highly recommend this book and give it a 4.5 star rating. I did receive the book as a free giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this novel so help support this talented author.
October 7, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jonathan Grant takes the reader on quite a trip with the protagonist, Charlie Sherman. Having moved to Forsyth County about three years ago, I found the history of the area to be quite interesting. I previously lived in the Western U.S. I had heard of lynchings before, but there it was for cattle rustling and such, not to persecute the African Americans and rob them of their land. I liked his terminology for the "bad guys" as being "varmits". That's what we called them out west too. The character "Trouble" seemed to create trouble all around. We find in the end that he was an avenging angel using Charlie to help in setting things straight. Charlie had to go through beatings, arrests, and homelessness to finally achieve his goals.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
March 24, 2014
I just finished this long book and can say I wish it wasn't over. Jonathan Grant has done an excellent job of creating a historical fiction piece that is more fiction than historical (recounts actual disgusting practices of whites in Forsyth County, GA) while developing wonderfully flawed characters that I actually cared about. Could it have been cut down? Sure, but it would've suffered somewhere. There are definite spiritual themes but they are interwoven in the story and thankfully not preach-y. One of the best deals I've ever gotten on Amazon - a 99-cent eBook that I would've gladly paid much more for. Download it today while it's still cheap. I look forward to reading more of Grant's!
April 14, 2013
I received this novel from NetGalley.
this novel was hard to get into and incredibly long and detailed. It took a very long time to develop into the great novel it is and that caused it to drag on painfully.
The characters are all self centred and crude, the children being the only ones who are likeable and easy to relate to, especially Romy.
this is a great novel, once you get past the halfway mark. it is clever and evokes questions and shock from the reader. it is alarming how black people were treated and that creates many feelings and reactions within the reader.
it does drag on quite a bit, but in the end all the loose ends are tied nicely and it has a satisfying ending.
this novel was hard to get into and incredibly long and detailed. It took a very long time to develop into the great novel it is and that caused it to drag on painfully.
The characters are all self centred and crude, the children being the only ones who are likeable and easy to relate to, especially Romy.
this is a great novel, once you get past the halfway mark. it is clever and evokes questions and shock from the reader. it is alarming how black people were treated and that creates many feelings and reactions within the reader.
it does drag on quite a bit, but in the end all the loose ends are tied nicely and it has a satisfying ending.
July 19, 2015
Overall it was a really interesting and good read I thought. I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest.
There is a bit of a paranormal aspect to it but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It took a minute to really pull me in but once it did I have to say that it was very hard to put down.
I wanted to know what happened and why Trouble was not happy. I wanted to know what was going to happen with Charlie.
It is a pretty long book but not a disappointment, for me. I am not a big fan of historicals and this isn't that for the most part but it does go over things that happened in the past so I was interested.
I do hope that more enjoy it. :)
There is a bit of a paranormal aspect to it but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It took a minute to really pull me in but once it did I have to say that it was very hard to put down.
I wanted to know what happened and why Trouble was not happy. I wanted to know what was going to happen with Charlie.
It is a pretty long book but not a disappointment, for me. I am not a big fan of historicals and this isn't that for the most part but it does go over things that happened in the past so I was interested.
I do hope that more enjoy it. :)
August 2, 2012
I picked up this book because it was about Forsyth County in the early 1900's thru the 1990's. Having moved here from NY, it looked like a good historical fiction read. While it did have a ton of facts regarding the county, there were many (almost too many) other things going on - relationships, supernatural entities, etc. Overall, the story kept me interested enough to at least skim and get it done.
July 7, 2013
This book was written by a neighbor of mine, and takes place in Atlanta so many of the venues and even characters were familiar. There is a really good story buried somewhere in this book. It could have been about half the length it was. There were so many sub plots going on, an avenging angel, a prostitute, Russian mafia? Really? The history of Forsyth County is tragic and compelling and needs to be told. Unfortunately this was not the book to do it.
September 4, 2016
I couldn't put this one down -- or when I did, I couldn't wait to get back to Charlie's woes. And woes the man has! Just when you think things can't get any worse for him, they do. This book can get awfully gruesome at times, but that only made it (for me) all the more interesting, wanting to know what would happen next.
March 9, 2014
Very good read
I really enjoyed this book. l like the fact that not everyone had a happy ending because that's how it is in life. I also appreciated the theme of redemption for those who seek it.
I really enjoyed this book. l like the fact that not everyone had a happy ending because that's how it is in life. I also appreciated the theme of redemption for those who seek it.
January 16, 2019
Just Plain Wow!
What a great book! I was already familiar with the history of Forsythe County. The author's telling of this history from an 'inside' outsider point of view made the story come alive, faults and all.
What a great book! I was already familiar with the history of Forsythe County. The author's telling of this history from an 'inside' outsider point of view made the story come alive, faults and all.
September 24, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
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