54 Miles: A Novel

by Leonard Pitts Jr.

The free-standing successor and next novel by the author of the critically acclaimed The Last Thing You Surrender, Leonard Pitts, Jr.’s 54 Miles launches forward twenty years to the fateful weeks of March 1965—from the infamous “Bloody Sunday” march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on the 7th to the triumphant entry into Montgomery on the 25th that climaxed the voting rights campaign—and the families who find themselves confronting the past amid another flashpoint in American history.

Young Adam, who has been raised in Harlem by his white father, George, and Black mother, Thelma, goes back to his parents’ home state of Alabama to participate in the voting rights campaign, only to be brutalized in the Bloody Sunday melee. He is still recovering from this when he is struck a heavy emotional blow, learning for the first time—and in the cruelest way imaginable—of a family secret that sends him spiraling and plunging further into danger. To save him, and any hope for their relationship, Thelma is drawn back, for the first time in twenty years, to the South she both hates and fears, and to a reckoning that may result in an incalculable loss.

Meanwhile, Thelma’s brother Luther is also spiraling, but in a different way. Forty-two years after his parents were lynched before his eyes, and twenty years after the man who led the lynch mob walked out of court a free man, Luther has just made a shocking discovery. He‘s found the murderer, Floyd Bitters, helpless and enfeebled in a rest home—unable to move or even to speak. The old man is literally at Luther’s mercy. And Luther, who has never overcome this trauma that defined his life, is suddenly forced to relive it all again as he grapples with the awful question of what justice now demands.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, African American, Race, Historical, Novels, Politics

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2024

About the author

Leonard Pitts Jr. was born and raised in Southern California. He is a columnist for the Miami Herald and won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. He was also a finalist for the Pulitzer in 1992. In 1997, Pitts took first place for commentary in division four (newspapers with a circulation of more than 300,000) in the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors' Ninth Annual Writing Awards competition. His columns on the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman have garnered much attention from his peers and readers alike.

Pitts's column, "We'll Go Forward From This Moment," an angry and defiant open letter to the terrorists, generated upwards of 30,000 emails and has since been set to music, reprinted in poster form, read on television by Regis Philbin, and quoted by Congressman Richard Gephardt as part of the Democratic Party's weekly radio address. He is a three-time recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Award of Excellence, a five-time recipient of the Atlantic City Press Club’s National Headliners Award and a seven-time recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Green Eyeshade Award.

In a career spanning 35 years, Leonard Pitts, Jr. has been a columnist, a college professor, a radio producer, and a lecturer, but if you ask him to define himself, he will invariably choose one word: writer.

He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Phyllis | Mocha Drop · Rating 4 out of 5]

54 Miles is the continuing historical fiction saga featured in The Last Thing You Surrender. The reader rejoins Thelma (an African American woman), her husband, George (a white man), who have built a comfortable life in New York City after fleeing Alabama two decades earlier to marry legally side-stepping Alabama’s draconian miscegenation laws forbidding interracial marriages. The novel setting is Selma, AL in March 1965 where several college students participated including Adam, George and Thelma’s son, naively join SNCC to assist with voter registration activities amid murderous protesters.

When Adam is attacked and goes missing during a peaceful protest (later referred to as “Bloody Sunday,” at the Edmund Pettis Bridge, Thelma calls her brother, Luther, to find him. George, a pacifist and minister, is also pulled to Alabama when Martin Luther King, Jr. asks for clerical support to respond to the attack. The result is the unforgettable march from Selma to Montgomery (distance = 54 miles) again involving a successful crossing of the Edmund Pettis Bridge (it helps that the world was watching this time).

The novel is strategically layered – covering historical events and does an excellent job pointing out the legalities (local, state, and federal levels), concerns surrounding safety in a hostile climate, the dangers to anyone on the side of righteousness, and drops in sprinkles of “realness” in the moment – the doubts, fears, regrets, rumors/gossip, and confusion of the moment.

While history is being made, our protagonists’ family histories are exposed, and long buried truths evoke new hurts and rip open old wounds. The family is fractured and broken (physically, mentally, and emotionally). Pitts’ descriptions of atrocities and wrongdoings are vivid/graphic and hit at a visceral level. I felt despair, frustration, and anger when reading. Although fictional, there are countless documented (and undocumented) cases of where murder, rape, and ungodly brutalities happened to many a family for too long without apology, restitution, or any semblance of justice. Some parts were difficult to read, but it must be.

The novel moves quickly and focuses on a specific Civil Rights Movement event. The segregated South is on display – a history that many want to erase or forget – but should be remembered so it will never repeat. Highly recommended for history buffs – I think the references and mention of those celebrities who participated (Baldwin, Belafonte, etc.), their fervor spiced the novel with their passionate speeches, viewpoints, and personalities – their enthusiasm, hope is felt decades after their passing. The fight continues.

[Crystal (Melanatedreader) Forte' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I will be binging the rest of Leonard Pitts Catalogue by the end of 2026 because 54 Milesssss is a time👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 i don’t even have the words… historical fiction at its best and the storytelling and characterization??!! I’m still kicking myself because I missed 54 Miles in the rotation last year… and I didn’t see a soul talking about this book 😩😩👀
set in the 50s I’m talking Family drama, I’m talking a civil rights movement era unflinching narrative that follows characters who will stick with you through their authentic voices.

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. Mr. Pitts just keeps getting better, novel by novel. He has a way of inserting the reader into the story, so that you are linked with these characters as though you may actually know them. Amazing. It feels so real. A note of caution.. DO NOT read the publishers summary of the book, they give away far too much and if I had read the blurb before hand, my reading experience would undoubtedly be far different. And the impact would have been negative. So readers please refrain from reading, Agate Bolden books, what were you thinking?

If the key events are revealed during your reading of the book, your experience will be far more enriched than knowing in advance that emotional struggles are coming AND knowing WHY they’re coming. Shame on you Agate Bolden. I’m 100% grateful that I stuck to my habit of avoiding blurbs, reviews and summaries before engaging with a book. I read the summary after finishing and I was mortified.

Anyway, this book uses the Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights as its backdrop to explore complex issues, thoughts, and feelings that Blacks and whites have regarding racial issues in 60’s Alabama specifically and America generally. Pitts has achieved a great feat in managing to capture the nuances of emotion through expressions, authentic dialogue and an overall feeling of there-ness! You will admire the strength of Thelma, the complexity of Luther, the down to earth goodness of George and the genuine confusion of Adam as he searches for solid footing amidst his growth into adulthood. These four are drawn with depth allowing for easy investment. And that investment comes much easier if you skip the publisher summary.

Come on Agate Bolden, do better!

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel should be required reading for every American. Baldwin-level PERFECTION.

[Jo Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!!!

[Chris Montez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything I write about book this will be trite and redundant.
So...just a synopsis:
Takes place during the 1965 civil rights March on the bridge in Selma, Alabama.
Focus on that event, and of the members of a family, and the effects of racism in their past, and still in the present.

All I can really say is, IF YOU DON'T READ THIS BOOK,...
Well, just READ IT, that's all.

[The Community Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

54 Miles is an emotional story that weaves the complex relationship of an interracial couple, the effect their relationship has on their family, with the backdrop of the “Bloody Sunday” march on the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

This book was dense! Leonard Pitts, Jr.’s descriptive writing style brought the story to life. The author’s use of language plants the reader in the scenes and we become united with the characters. There are times when I had to put this book down because it was just too heavy.

The character development was phenomenal. I felt like Thelma, Luther, George and Adam were my family members, and I actually cared about their emotional and physical well-being. The book shed light on the diverse feelings amongst black people regarding the Civil Rights movement, which we don’t often hear about.

I would be remiss if I didn’t share the trigger warnings here, because there were a lot: racism, suicide attempt, sexual assault, violence and murder.

With that said, this is a must read for historical fiction lovers. It’s also a great way to reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during his holiday.

[Carrolet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third and favorite historical fiction by this author. Based on the facts of the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, we are privy to the lives of the Hayes and Simon families. It is a novel about generational trauma, mother-child relationships, biracial love, mental health, and aging. Every character’s story is important to the telling, but Luther is the star. You’re left questionably cheering for him in the end.

It is a sequel of sorts to the author’s last book but does not require reading that one. It may make you want to, however.

[Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Pitts is a true literary talent. His writing easily transports the reader into the midst of all his stories whether it's the battlefields of WWII, Chicago, or Alabama. What I thoroughly enjoyed about 54 Miles is its ability to be read independently of The Last Thing You Surrender. A dedicated Pitts reader will recognize the characters from that book and have flashbacks to certain passages that are so detail oriented they left a lasting impression. But if this is one's first foray into the brilliance of Mr. Pitts's storytelling, this novel works perfectly well on its own.

[Sherie Ryan-bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! This is one that you will think about for a while after reading. I reread Pitts’ The Last Thing You Surrender in preparation for this book as 54 Miles extends the story of the extraordinary characters- Thelma, Luther, George, Johan and Adam. You can read the novels independently, but I recommend reading the two together. I went into this novel with great anticipation as Surrender was my favorite read of 2021 and I was anxious to rejoin Mr. Pitts’ characters. This second novel met my high expectations. 54 Miles is set in the time of the Selma violence and the fight for voting rights. Mr Pitts describes the external struggles in society while revealing the internal repercussions of segregation and racism on each of the characters. It is about love, the strength of the human spirit and the contradiction of MLK’s “I have a dream. Spoken to people living in a nightmare.” (Pg. 174).

[Kelly Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We have come over a way that with tears has been watered” (from the “Negro National Anthem”)
I read somewhere between 80-100 books a year but still, I can easily pick a Top 10 of favourite books. Definitely on that list is THE LAST THING YOU SURRENDER so when I read that Leonard Pitts had a new book out about Selma I put it at the top of my list to read and then to find out that it is a stand-alone successor to that 2019 publication, well, I settled in for what I knew would be a fantastic read and I was not wrong. What a treat to reconnect with George, Thelma, and Luther 20 years after we left them in the aftermath of WWII. Luther Hayes is one of the greatest characters to ever step out of the pages of fiction. He is angry and full of hate when we first meet him in THE LAST THING YOU SURRENDER and he still is although it is tempered with age and experience. He is still cynical and very damaged as most any black man who grew up in the Jim Crow South would be. His sister Thelma has every bit as much reason, if not more, to feel the same way but she has escaped with her white husband George and her son Adam to NYC where strange looks are as far as disapproval over a mixed race couple goes. Thelma’s self-centered, clueless son Adam is a main focus in this book and the character who leads us to Selma and the infamous “Bloody Sunday” march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Old events are revived and repeated and merge with new threads to create the ongoing storyline of this book. I was familiar already with the three attempts to cross the bridge but knew nothing of the hardships of the 54 miles march from that point on to Montgomery, the state capitol of Alabama nor of the jockeying for position by posers at the end who wanted to be seen next to MLK (that part is hardly surprising) knocking aside an old woman by the name of Rosa Parks!
This surge of humanity demanding rights for the disenfranchised in the 1965 Jim Crow South is the stage for the story of Luther, Thelma, George, and Adam to unfold.
“Every device of which human ingenuity is capable has been used to deny this right. The Negro citizen may go to register only to be told that the day is wrong, or the hour is late, or the official in charge is absent. And if he persists and if he manages to present himself to the registrar, he may be disqualified because he did not spell out his middle name or because he abbreviated a word on the application. And if he manages to fill out an application, he is given a test. The registrar is the sole judge of whether he passes this test. He may be asked to recite the entire Constitution, Or explain the most complex provisions of state law. And even a college degree cannot be used to prove that he can read and write. For the fact is, that the only way to pass these barriers is to show a white skin.” ~Pres Lyndon B. Johnson
The author poses some interesting question thru Luther with regards to MLK, his views, his methods, and his idea of a dream. Luther “cast a covert glance at his sister, beaten, raped, emotionally brutalized to the point of suicide by white men. There was no dream. This, Luther Hayes knew with a certainty. There was only the nightmare that, for colored people, had begun on a beach in Virginia in 1619 and showed no signs of ending. That was America.”
So today, in 2025 with a racist POS occupying the White House, is America closer to MLK’s dream or Luther’s reality?
In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson in a joint session of Congress stated “There is no ‘Negro problem’. There is no ‘Southern problem’. There is no ‘Northern problem’. There is only an American problem and we are met here tonight as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans. We are met here as Americans to solve that problem.”
That was SIXTY years ago and there is no way in hell that such an enlightened speech would ever come out of the mouth of the ruling POS so I think we have not come so very far and that Luther had a clearer picture of what was ahead for black Americans.
The book is superb on many levels but does not pack quite the same gut-wrenching punches that THE LAST THING YOU SURRENDER did. The same horrific scenes are described but maybe it is because they are being described 20 years later and not lived in real-time by the reader that they can be held just a bit at arm’s length. I remember the terror of being in the belly of that ship with Thelma and barely being able to breathe in the aftermath. I felt at the time like I was watching it, almost living it rather than just reading about it or hearing Luther and Thelma speak of it. And Adam? I kind of felt like he was more trouble than he was worth.
The ending is immensely satisfying with the final sentence leaving it wide open for another installment. If that is to be the case Mr Pitts, PLEEEASE make Nick die a horrible death is some Vietnamese POW camp!!!
I gave THE LAST THING YOU SURRENDER a 5+++ star rating. This book was a solid 5 star read for me.

On March 15, 1965, eight days after the "Bloody Sunday" violence in Selma, Alabama, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered his historic "The American Promise" speech to a joint session of Congress. In it, he urged the passage of what would become the Voting Rights Act of 1965, framing the struggle for Black voting rights as a national, moral cause.
The speech galvanized national and congressional support, leading to the overwhelming passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which Johnson signed into law on August 6, 1965. The Act outlawed discriminatory practices like literacy tests and led to a dramatic increase in Black voter registration across the South. (AI) It is worth reading his speech in its entirety. https://www.lbjlibrary.org/object/tex... .
Just don’t fall off your chair laughing when he says “I want to be the President who helped to end war among the brothers of this earth.” This from the President who put American boots on the ground in Vietnam!

[Jeff Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning historical fiction based on the Selma-Montgomery March. 54 Miles explores so much more than this pivotal moment in US history; it reminds us that we still have so far to go to become a true land of the free.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just…whew. Incredible writing. I found myself in tears several times. An absolute must-read.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very difficult book to read for the same reason I give it five stars. This is not a romanticized history of a civil rights march that changed our nation forever. In the recent success of the Civil Rights act of 1964, marchers come from around the nation to demand voting rights in the last gasp of Jim Crow era Alabama, encountering violence and anger from those attempting to hold onto their tiny piece of privilege. The author makes no attempt to shield the reader from the horrors of that era or portray an image of a unified resistance, equally championing non violent protest. The history books of my school years, 20 years after these events, reprinted the photos in black and white to give the sense of a distant history and presented a monolithic support of the peaceful ideologies of the time, ignoring the vast range and complexities of experience presented in this novel.

Following the 2016 election, I searched for answers about white rage, seeking answers about why people so reliably vote against their own economic interests, and discovered White Trash by Nancy Isenberg,
which for the first time helped me understand why race has always superseded socioeconomic class in American sensibilities. Eight years later, that non-fiction book helps me understand why a work of historic fiction such as this is not only realistic and poignant but necessary to remind us of our recent past.

Following the 2024 election, this novel is probably more important than ever, but it doesn't present itself as an inspiring work, a false impression that with hope all horrors can be conquered. Instead, it reminds us that we have already fought the battles being waged again. In light of that, I appreciate the author's choice to present multiple experiences and different perspectives on fighting injustice, acknowledging that sometimes it's overwhelming and feels hopeless. Yet, maybe most so for the youth of generation, there are those for whom nothing matters more than fighting injustice and oppression, those who will sacrifice all else in that pursuit.

[Emily Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Leonard Pitts has written a masterpiece. We are reunited with Thelma, George, and Luther along with Thelma’s and George’s son Adam twenty years after the end of The Last Thing You Surrender. Set against the backdrop of the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Thelma and George fly off from the safety of NYC back to Alabama in search of Adam when they get the call that he’s been beaten during the first march attempt. Thelma has never returned to Alabama after leaving, and her reunion with Luther is bittersweet. Luther has continued a friendship with Johan after all these years, even coming to his rest home to cut his hair and spend time with him twice a week. Adam discovers the identity of his biological father and has to come to terms with his origin, which ultimately leads him to understanding and physically embracing his mother in the end. Thelma confronts ghosts of her past, even begging on her knees and changing the narrative of her rape to have her rapist’s brother drop charges against Adam.

This book gave examples of different types of love that people have for each other and showed that not all love is the exact same. We see this in the relationship Cora wants with George, in the relationship that Luther has with Thelma, and the friendship between Luther and Johan. It’s also notable how Pitts shows that racism isn’t always overt like Nick Simon. It can also be passive like Cora.

[Patricia Vroman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched an interview on PBS with the author and was impressed by his forthrightness and ability to clarify important points about what it is to be black in America. This novel impressed me equally. Against the background of Selma and the march to Montgomery in 1965. he illustrates the conflicts of the time through the eyes of a family with a white father, George, black mother, Thelma, their son, Adam, and his uncle, Luther. Likewise, the family turmoil during the revelation of awful secrets parallels the brutal beatings at Selma bridge and the racial tensions during the march. Luther, in particular, remains sceptical as to whether the future will prove much better for black people, churning this over in his mind along with memories of the traumatic event he witnessed at age nine and the awful crime committed against Thelma as a young woman. That there was no justice for black people when humiliated or attacked by white people was a constant theme. At the end, though, Pitts does give a glimmer of hope through the political ambitions of young people.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. Whew.

To say it's a tough read is a huge understatement. But it's brilliant, and despite the difficult subject, I definitely recommend it.

As always, Pitts is an amazing writer. Be sure to read "The Last Thing You Surremder" first. This is a follow-up.

And that ending. Honestly, no other ending would've worked. I had to sit and take it all in.

Major TW: a l1nch1ing, horrible racism, m*rd3r, and more.

5/5 stars

[Hillary Pincus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim at my library and hadn't realized this was a follow-up to a previous book. Still wonderful, heartbreaking and thoughtful. Do yourself a favor and read this.

[Lit_eraryqueen (Salena C.) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 round up! Excellent read and can't wait to read more from this author

[Julie Yeadon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was well written. It was a hard read necessary for some to read but they never will. The ending was heart warming but the journey there was tragic. Our country has a dark history and we should never forget. Seemingly more and more people want us to forget the monstrosity of the actions our nation has taken in the not so far off past.

[Keeping.Volumes.Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the follow-up to "The Last Thing You Surrender!" It was so good that I was a bit sad when it ended. This read really made me think and taught me a lot at the same time. I highly recommend it to everyone!

[Karen Pomerantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding historical fiction sequel focused on Adam, Thelma’s son, during the Civil Rights Movement. Each of the characters and their challenges are so authentic and believable. Consecutive timeline told from the perspective of Adam, Thelma, George and Luther. Couldn’t put this one down.

[Shell (booksbythecup)]

This sequel to The Last Thing You Surrender picks up 20 years later with Thelma, George, Adam and Luther. Centered around the march from Selma to Montgomery during the Civil Rights Movement, Adam, Thelma and George’s son, leaves home in NY to participate. The book moves quickly covering the span of a few weeks. Weeks that unpack 20 years of trauma and emotional pain. Excellent read.

[Cynthia Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read!

[Linty · Rating 4 out of 5]

- the story of a family (thelma, a black woman, george, a white man, their son, adam, and thelma's brother, luther) and their involvement with the civil rights movement in the weeks surrounding the march on selma, focused on how violence shapes each of the characters' lives and how they respond to that violence
- a bit of a difficult read due to the numerous awful things that the characters go through, but obviously that's kind of the point and par for the course for any book about black people during the civil rights movement
- it was interesting to read about each character's different experience of the movement, their expectations, their hopes, their general thoughts, and how those transform throughout the course of the novel
- at times the plot was a bit meandering but by the end i understood why the plot took the turns that it did

** thank you to goodreads and the publisher for the arc! **

[Angela D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonard, I want to thank you once again for a throughly captivating story.
Authors who can reach me emotionally are brilliant at their craft.
This story most definitely angered me, made me lol, educated me and made me cry.
I’m patiently waiting for the next novel.
PS, I love happy endings!

[Jo Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad but a good read

[Derek Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are taken back to "Bloody Sunday", March, 1965 at Edmund Peter's Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Adam was raised in Harlem by his white father and his black mother Thelma. He goes back to Alabama to participate in the voting rights campaign. While there he learns of a family secret. Meanwhile Thelma's brother who witnessed his parent's lynching discovers a secret of his own. This is a powerful story about the Selma to Montgomery march. Thank you for the opportunity of receiving this book. I have already passed it on.

[Michelle Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down. I loved the stand alone story and the connection to The Last Thing You Surrender.

[Bukola Akinyemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Life is a series of loses. You lose loved things, you lose loved places, you lose loved ones. Yet somehow, each time, loss still manages to come as a surprise.”

Leonard Pitts Jr. is truly a remarkable writer! He has an incredible talent for bringing history to life.

In 54 Miles, we meet a fictional family comprising Adam, his white father George, and his Black mother Thelma. Throughout their journey, we encounter real historical figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, making history feel even more tangible and vivid.

54 Miles is a sequel to The Last Thing You Surrender by the same author but it can be read as a standalone. Both 54 Miles and The Last Thing You Surrender are 5 star reads in my opinion.

I would recommend this to all lovers of historical fiction and those that want to know more about Black history. If you like audiobooks, 54 Miles is narrated by the author himself and he did an excellent job.